


Still Jack and Daniel - Full Circle - VIII - Heart, Brain and Courage

by Annejackdanny



Series: Still Jack and Daniel Series 3  - Full Circle [8]
Category: Highlander: The Series, Stargate Atlantis (AU), Stargate SG-1
Genre: Kid Fic, Little Daniel - Freeform, M/M, h/c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 06:06:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 31,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/683702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annejackdanny/pseuds/Annejackdanny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack is trying to be 'the man' and stay sane. The Daniels and SG-1 are battling diplomacy issues and the reincarnation of Audrey from The Little Shop of Horror. BD is considering leaving or going home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a bit of a mix of the season 8 episodes "Zero Hour" and "Lockdown" - of course with my own twist and fitting it into the story. I used parts of the transcripts from SG Solutions.
> 
> http://www.stargate-sg1-solutions.com/wiki/8.04_%22Zero_Hour%22_Transcript
> 
> http://www.stargate-sg1-solutions.com/wiki/8.03_%22Lockdown%22_Transcript

**Still Jack and Daniel**

– 

**Full Circle**

**VIII**

  
  


**Heart, Brain and Courage**

**I**

  
  


“And he’s waiting for you there every morning with a cup of coffee?” Little Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose and gave Jack a curious look. It was 07:30 sharp and they were riding the elevator to the level of the general’s office and the briefing room. Usually they parted ways where the archeological labs and the Daniels’ offices were, but this morning a debriefing had been scheduled for SG-1, which Daniel wanted to attend. So once they had come in and changed clothes in the locker room, Daniel went with Jack. 

“Yep,” Jack said. “Every morning. The coffee's just a bribe though. What he really has for me is a to do list as long as the wall of China.” 

“Wow.”

The doors of the elevator swished open and there was Walter, holding out a mug to Jack. “Morning, sir. Daniel.”

Jack took the mug and sipped. “Walter.”

Walter nodded at Daniel in greetings. “Do you want some coffee, too, Daniel?” Then, without waiting for an answer he addressed Jack again. “Your 07:45 debriefing with SG-1, regarding the life form they brought with them from P8F-809...”

Jack stopped dead in his tracks. “Life form? What life form?”

“The plant,” Daniel said, remembering Sam telling him about this mysterious plant when SG-1 had returned last night. “They wanted to bring it through for further studies. You granted it.”

“Right!” To Walter Jack said, “Could you be more specific before I have a heart attack this early in the morning about alien life forms crawling over the base?” 

“Sorry, sir. Doctor Lee has requested to be allowed to attend the briefing as well, sir, and Colonel Carter confirmed that he should be there,” Walter continued as they walked to Jack’s office. “There are personnel files on your desk you have yet to review.” 

“How many do I have left?” 

“All of them,” Walter said stoically. 

Jack sighed. “Right.”

Daniel winced a little on Jack’s behalf as they entered General Hammond’s office, which was now Jack’s office, and he spotted the high stacks of files on the desk. He couldn’t remember having seen files piling up on Hammond’s desk like that, ever. Walter turned to Daniel and asked him again if he would like some coffee and Daniel nodded. “Thank you, Walter. That would be nice.” 

Just as Walter was about to leave, Jack called his name and gestured to a man sitting in one of the visitor chairs. 

Walter whipped around and hurriedly introduced the two men. “Sorry, sir. General O'Neill. Mark Gilmore. He's your new administrative aide, sir.” 

Gilmore was a lank, not very tall man. He was dressed in khaki slacks, a white shirt and a black tie. He rose from his seat and nodded in greeting. “General.” Then he looked at Daniel and smiled. “'You must be Doctor Jackson.” 

“I'm his nephew,” Daniel said. 

Gilmore said, “I'm cleared.”

“Oh, okay.” They shook hands.

Jack frowned slightly at Walter. “Did I order an administrative...”

“No, sir.”

“Do I really need…?”

“Yes, sir.” 

Daniel thought there was desperation in Walter’s voice. 

Gilmore cleared his throat. “I've been a CIA analyst for the last eight years. Mostly background checks, but I did have top level clearance.” 

“He was assigned by General Hammond,” Walter said. 

“Ah! Well, in that case, welcome aboard.” Jack offered his hand to Gilmore who grabbed it, looking relieved. “How about if I give you a tour around?” 

Gilmore grinned. “Ah! Had one, sir. It’s very exciting to finally see it all in action.”

Jack eyed the mountains of files on his desk. “Dang. Would have loved to tour you around.” 

Walter murmured, “General, your 07:45.” To Daniel he said. “There's a fresh pot of coffee in the briefing room.”

“Thanks, Walter.” Daniel decided to wait there for Jack and the others. On his way out he heard Jack talking to Gilmore.

“You're here to assist me right? How about if you dive into those…”

And Walter jumping in quickly, “Sir, sir, sir. You really need to read these files yourself.”

When Daniel entered the briefing room, SG-1 was already there. Teal’c and BD were by the window looking out to the gate room and Sam was standing by the table with a mug of coffee. 

“Hi, Daniel, what’s going on?” Sam asked when she spotted him. 

“You mean with the suit in Jack’s office?” Daniel asked, throwing a glance back over his shoulder. 

“Yeah.” 

“I’m not sure. Hammond sent an administrative aide for Jack.”

BD turned away from the window. “To help with the paperwork or to keep him on his schedule?” 

“Probably both,” Sam guessed. 

Daniel poured himself a coffee from the black pot on the table. “Is that... Is that SOP?” 

“It’s just until he’s settled in, I think,” Sam said, giving him a reassuring smile. “To ease him into the job and take some stuff off his plate.”

Daniel nodded, but couldn’t shake his worry. Jack had been the commander of the SGC for six weeks now and Daniel had a feeling things weren’t exactly going smoothly. Jack was swamped by his new obligations and schedule. They hardly ever saw him at lunch anymore and who would have thought that Daniel was going to miss Jack dropping by at his office, bugging him about breaks or taking a break himself during the day. Now it was always Teal’c or BD accompanying him on walks with the dog. Or - and that was the weirdest thing – Walter came along when SG-1 happened to be off world. Daniel liked Walter and he didn’t mind taking a walk with him and Flyboy, but Walter’s schedule was tight as well and so they only took the short round and never stopped to play with the dog or let him off the leash. 

Jack still tried to put down the pen and get out of the mountain at a decent hour, but then he would bury himself in his office at home in paperwork and phone calls with Walter or Reynolds, his 2IC. And several times Jack had to go back in after dinner. Daniel had tried to sneak in more work hours on those occasions, but SG-1 had apparently vowed to do collective babysitting duty on him if they were at the mountain. And even BD wouldn’t budge. So Daniel spent those evenings either with one of his friends - watching TV, playing chess or working out at the gym – or alone at his base quarters reading or watching TV, until the crisis was over and they could go home again. 

Jack had a lot on his plate and the president had scheduled a visit to the base in four days to see for himself how things were going under the new command and to give a speech to the future Atlantis expedition team which was currently getting ready for take off to Pegasus. 

It had been a hard row of negotiations to get permission from Washington to ‘borrow’ the new Antarctica ZPM in order to send the Atlantis team out. It was really a strange coincidence that the guy who had flown Jack and the Daniels out to Antarctica four weeks ago to visit the Ancient outpost... Major Shepherd... turned out to have the Ancient gene. He had just sat down in the Ancient chair because he thought it was a cool piece of furniture and everything had sprung to life. From there it had been a small step to convince Jack to support the idea of an Atlantis team, but a much more difficult task for Jack to convince the president and the Join Chiefs to grant it. 

He was pulled out of his musings when Jack entered the briefing room with a flourish, “Good morning, kids, slept well?” 

Behind him, Doctor Lee showed up, huffing and carrying a pot containing a leafy, green plant. Murmuring an apology he strode past Jack. 

They all settled down and Bill Lee put the pot on the table in front of Jack. “This,” he said with almost paternal pride. “Is the most amazing thing, sir.”

Jack eyed it. “It’s a plant.”

“Exactly! When SG-1 brought it in last night it was a seedling.”

BD nodded. “It, uh, had a pretty huge growth spurt there.”

The plant resembled a Ficus tree with thick, glossy, oval green leaves. It was probably two feet tall with artfully dropping branches. 

“A seedling you say?” Jack asked, poking one of the leaves with a fingertip. The leaf trembled and curled around his finger. 

“It likes you, sir,” Bill crooned as Jack yanked his finger back and the leaf let go.

“It’s a _plant_ ,” Jack repeated. 

Somehow it reminded Daniel of how Jack had kept saying ‘It’s a machine’ when SG-1 had brought Reese through. But thankfully this REALLY was just a plant. A fast growing plant, granted, but still a plant. Daniel hoped they’d move on to the interesting part of the briefing soon. 

“We want to study it for a couple of days,” Lee went on. “To see what makes it grow so fast and to find out if it’s edible or if it has any healing abilities.”

Jack opened his mouth, but Sam quickly jumped in. “Sir, we measured low energy readings coming from it. It might be worth examining it further.”

“Right. Keep me posted, Bill,” Jack said. “Make sure it doesn’t start eating people.” 

Lee snorted. “Good one, sir.” He grabbed his plant and hurried out.

Jack rolled his eyes. “Oy.”

Daniel and Sam exchanged a sympathetic look. 

“So,” Jack moved on briskly, “You mentioned fascinating chicken scratchings and naquadah yesterday?” 

“We found a cave deep in the jungle with writings on the walls and a pretty high concentration of naquadah. It seems the whole rock mass is veined by it. Similar to the mountains of the Salish people,” Sam explained. 

“That’s the guys with the spirits,” BD threw in. “You know with the wolf and the crow and...”

“Tonane, yeah. I do remember stuff, sometimes,” Jack cut him off with a smirk. “Are there natives we need to be concerned about regarding mining rights?”

“No. No present civilization. But I want to copy the writings and explore that cave before we start digging there,” BD said, pointing at the pictures he’d placed in front of everyone. “The writings look Mayan, so I’m carefully optimistic of finding traces of the Giant aliens there.” 

“Just don’t touch any crystal skulls,” Jack warned.

“However, if you look closely at the glyphs you’ll see… or maybe only Daniel will see... that they are from a different time period than the writings we found in Honduras.” 

“How much time do you need?” Jack asked.

“Uh, depending on what else I find... “

“You have a day.”

“Jack, there might be... “

“If you need more time, we’ll talk about it.” Jack checked his watch.

BD shrugged. “Fine. Don’t think I won’t bug you if I need more time.”

Jack grimaced. “Oh, I’d never think you won't bug me, Jackson.”

Daniel looked at the enlarged pictures BD had taken from the cave walls. “I’ll help you translate these.”

“That’s what I was hoping for. Let’s get on it,” BD said brightly.

Jack pushed back his chair. “Excellent. My new administrative aide will schedule you for tomorrow around noon-ish.”

“That’s not a day.” BD raised his eyebrows.

“Okay, so it’s half a day. Now, if you’ll excuse me,...”

“I need more time, Jack,” BD insisted.

“You can go back the day after IF you really need more time.”

“I’ll get back to you about that.”

Jack waved them off impatiently. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hear you. Scoot! I have to choose bunting for the president's visit and then paperwork awaits me for the rest of my exciting morning.”

“Have fun,” Daniel offered.

“Oh, I’m ecstatic,” Jack said dryly, then added. “Remember you Daniels have to welcome the Amorans at..”

“14:30, yeah, I know,” Daniel said quickly. 

“Oh, joy,” BD mumbled.

The Amorans weren’t known to be easy negotiating partners. Amoran, ally of Earth for a couple of years now, had sought out the SGC as neutral ground to host negotiations between their two major governments and establish a trade treaty between both governments and Earth in the process. The Daniels and Major Davis were supposed to act as diplomatic liaison to the talks, but both delegations were argumentative and narrow minded.

“We should try to get somewhere today,” Daniel muttered. “If you’re away on the plant planet tomorrow, it’ll be just me and Davis.”

“I have the utmost confidence in you guys,” Jack announced and walked swiftly back into his office.

As they left the briefing room and waited for the elevator, Sam looked at her watch. “Well, I should go and see if Bill needs my help to figure out the plant’s energy source.” 

Teal’c said, “I have new recruits to train on the Beta Site. I will leave shortly. You will have to exercise on your own this afternoon, Daniel.”

“Oh, I might not get to that if the Amorans decide to be difficult,” Daniel moaned.

“Then we will meet at the gym tomorrow.”

“Yeah, good plan, Teal’c.” He had decided to keep up with the work out despite the fact that going off world was definitely off the table now until he was older. Daniel had been aware of that when he chose to stay little. He had lived being Earth bound for so long now that he wasn’t bothered by this much anymore. And his recent trip to Atlantis had proved that there were always exception to every rule. 

Having been given the opportunity to make a real choice about staying a kid had been a big deal for him. He hadn’t expected that. When the Ancients had stolen the Yggdrasil Daniel had been ready to just shrug it off, knowing deep down that this was what he wanted anyway. Yet, when Pierson had shown up at the house that night, Daniel had considered... really considered... and come to the conclusion that this WAS what he wanted, even given the choice to change back. It had made a difference for him even though the Earth hadn’t stopped moving and life had gone on as usual. 

He had told Sam, BD and Teal’c what had happened that night and while no one had said it in so many words, they all seemed to think he’d made the right choice. Teal’c had smiled in that open way he so rarely displayed and Sam had hugged him real tight. BD had smiled, too, and exchanged an ‘I told you so’ look with Jack. 

Pierson had made good on his word and taken Cassandra with him. When Jack and Daniel had come to work the next day, the Ancient woman had vanished into thin air. Janet hadn’t been amused, but there was nothing they could do about it and Daniel hoped Cassandra was all right, wherever Pierson had taken her. 

The Daniels left the elevator on level 19 and went to BD’s office where they tried to make sense of the sample video footage BD had taken from the cave walls. 

***

Jack stared at the bunting Walter was holding out to him. “Nothing in peridot?”

“Well, traditionally, sir, this type of event calls for red, white and blue.”

“Purple?” Jack knew his attempt at bad humor went right over Walter’s head more often than not, but he couldn’t help himself. It was either bad humor or banging his head against his desk all day. 

“Sorry, sir.”

A knock at the open door interrupted the bunting affair. Gilmore, waving a shiny new digital organizer, said, “Excuse me, sir. General Hammond is on the phone from the Pentagon and SG-4’s briefing is scheduled for 09:00. Doctor Weir wants to see you at 12:00 and Doctor MacKay has a list of extra equipment he wants you to approve.” 

“Thank you,” Jack said in Glimore’s direction. _Thank you, George,_ he thought with real gratitude. To Walter he said, “Look, I just don't have the decorating gene. Would you mind?” 

“Yes, sir. I mean, no, sir, I don’t mind.” 

Walter left, taking the bunting with him.

Jack slumped into Hammond’s chair and picked up the phone. “Sir! General, how are you? You just saved me from the bunting choosing.” 

Hammond chuckled. “Is everyone uptight about the president’s visit? And I thought I told you to call me George, Jack.”

“Yeah, I know, sir, but every time I open my mouth to say _George_ , general comes out,” Jack said. _And every morning I come in here, I wish it was you here and not me_ , he thought. 

“How are things going?” Hammond asked.

“Oh, you know... peachy, all things considered. Thanks for sending me the administrative guy, by the way.”

“Mmmh, that wasn’t entirely my idea...”

Jack listened and nodded. When he put down the phone a couple of minutes later, he eyed the waiting personnel files and got to work, hoping some minor crisis might save him from sitting here the rest of the day. Wincing, he disregarded the thought, hoping he hadn’t just jinxed it. A crisis on top of everything else – boring as it was - wasn't what he needed right now. 

He’d made it halfway through the first stack of files before it was time for the SG-4 briefing. 

After the briefing, which went quick and smoothly, Walter was back, informing him the commissary had gotten a shipment of Yukon Gold potatoes instead of the usual Russets. According to Walter, who had it on good authority from Julie Meyers, the Golds didn't make for good mash because the consistency was all wrong. 

Jack told them to make French Fries instead. 

That crisis solved, he went back to his paperwork until it was almost time to call Daniel and remind him to have lunch. He had just opened yet another file when there was a knock at his open door. 

Jack called to enter, signed the file and looked up into the square face of a Russian officer. Colonel, going by his uniform insignia. The man stood sharply at attention. 

“General O'Neill. It is an honor to meet you and may I say, an even greater honor to finally serve under your command.”

Jack had a bad feeling about this immediately. “Wow! That was a load. Who are you?”

“I am Colonel Alexi Vaselov, sir. I assumed you were expecting my arrival.”

Crap, the personnel files. Jack glanced at them and grabbed one, opened it and got lucky. “Uh…yeah, sure. Here's the memo. Right there.”

Vaselov nodded. “I want you to know, sir, that I personally requested this transfer. After my many years of service with Russian Air Force I…I feel confident that I can make a positive contribution to Stargate Command.”

“Great,” Jack said noncommittally, trying to appear well informed and all that. 

Vaselov gave him a somewhat puzzled smile. “If I may be so bold, sir. I understand that with your recent appointment as base commander, a position has become available on SG-1.”

 _Get in line_ , Jack thought sourly. 

“I would, of course, relish the opportunity to serve on the SGC's elite team.”

“Yes. You and everyone else on this base.” He'd better got this straight right from the start. “Colonel? Not going to happen.” 

The smile on Vaselov’s face didn’t waver. A confident one, apparently. “I understand your reluctance, sir, but if you look at my record, I think it will satisfy any of your concerns. I have over 3000 flight hours on more than 35 types of aircraft and prototypes. In addition, I have been awarded the High Order of Russia, the Gold Star and numerous…”

And Jack was going to nip that optimism right in the bud. “Yes, yes. That's very impressive. Very. But it's not going to get you on SG-1.”

Vaselov stared at him, barely suppressing his disappointment. “Understood. I am, of course, willing to accept a position on a different team.”

“Colonel, until you've gone through the proper training you're not going anywhere near that gate. Except for the training missions at the Beta Site with Teal’c.”

“Perhaps I could assume a role as a non-combat observer on one of the exploration units, sir.”

 _Oh, for cryin’ out loud_. “It was nice meeting you. Very nice. You're dismissed.” He underlined his words with a wave of his hand. 

Vaselov stood at attention, turned smartly, and left – only to be replaced by Doctor Weir breezing into his office, waving a folder. Probably a list of stuff she wanted to take through the gate with her. Another one. 

“I have a couple of add-ons to the list of equipment we need to take with us. And Doctor MacKay needs more instruments, but he wanted to discuss the importance of this with you personally,” she said as she settled down in the chair. 

“Of course he does. Is he still whining about not being sure he wants to go?”

“Yes. But at the same time he’s euphoric. He just can’t show it,” Elizabeth said with a little smile. “I spent a lot of time with him in Antarctica. He is a brilliant physicist, you know. He’s the best of the best...”

“You met Carter yet?” Jack asked, skimming her list. “She’s not only brilliant, she has social skills, too.” 

Weir grinned. “Yes, sir, but I can’t have her as you keep pointing out. And Doctor MacKay might have his flaws, but I’m sure he’s just the man we need.”

“Excellent.” He signed the extended list of doohickeys. 

“There’s something else,” Weir said as she took back the folder.

“Oh?”

“Doctor Jackson...“

“You can’t have him.” No way. No how. Things hadn’t turned out the way Jack had envisioned between them, but they’d work on it. As soon as life had calmed down a bit. As soon as Jack had his head free for anything but SGC matters again. 

Weir pursed her lips. “He has asked. Just hypothetically, he said. He told me he would consider going back to Atlantis if I have a job for him. And frankly, sir, I can’t pass up the opportunity to have someone like Doctor Jackson on my team.” 

“I need Daniel right here.” 

“Even against his will?” she asked curiously. “He seems indecisive, but he’s thinking about it and it’s only a couple of days until we leave.” 

“He’s not going anywhere,” Jack said, feeling like someone had poured a bucket of ice water over his head. 

_What the hell?_

Once they had returned from Dakara they had all gone home to take a breather. And somehow, in between Jack becoming ‘the man’, LD having his chat with Pierson and everyone trying to get used to the new dynamics at the SGC... somehow they had lost sight of things. Jackson and the kid were working hard on helping the Atlantis team to prep, Jack was working hard not to loose the battle with paperwork and his schedule, SG-1 had started going off world again four weeks ago. Jack and LD basically only went home for dinner, TV, sleep, shower, breakfast... and then it was back to the mountain. 

But when had Jackson decided he wanted a return trip to Atlantis?

Weir brushed back her dark hair and stood. “Well, it was worth trying.” She smiled and left.

Jack was still brooding over Jackson when Gilmore returned with more demands disguised as requests... and on it went. 

An hour later Jack decided he needed a break. 

He peered out his office door, checking the corridor for a hovering Walter or Gilmore, found the site all clear and stole away like a thief in the night. He made it undetected to Jackson’s office where he found the Daniels sticking their heads together over plant-planet’s writings. Quickly closing the door behind himself, Jack let out a deep breath. 

“I need coffee. The good stuff, not the crap Walter serves me. And if anyone calls, you haven’t got a clue where I am,” he said when two pairs of blue eyes looked up from the computer screen.

“Be my guest.” Jackson gestured at his coffee maker always stocked with Sumatra Mandheling.

“What’s up, Jack?” Daniel asked when Jack had settled at their work counter with a steaming mug of coffee. 

Jack shot a glare at Jackson, but instead of saying what he really wanted … needed... to say, he tackled another subject. The Atlantis issue was something he’d rather take on when they could grab a minute alone. 

“Remember that deal _you_ brokered about the agreement between Russia and us sharing the knowledge and technology gained through the use of the Stargate?” Jack asked, pointing a finger at Jackson, then at Daniel, then rolled his eyes. “Both of you, whatever.” 

“Yes?” they both asked with raised eyebrows.

“Well, they sent me some Russian colonel who made a pitch to join SG-1. I made it clear he shouldn't expect preferential treatment and that he'd have to prove himself before I'd consider him for off world travel. What do they want from us anyway?” 

“Um... you can't exactly blame them for wanting more of their people on off world teams. We haven't been making good on our promises,” Jackson pointed out.

“We gave them their own team!”

“That was two years ago. I mean, what have we done for them lately?” Daniel jumped in.

“Forget it! I'm not putting him on SG-1, or any other team, no matter how highly decorated he is in _the_ Russian military. He’s got exactly no experience in off world travel. I'm not going to risk the lives of anyone under my command on a slick resumé.” 

“The Russians are going to pressure you to put him on the team. On any team,” Jackson said. “You’ll hear from them about this.” 

“Well, there’s that.” Just another thing he’d have to deal with. Trying to ward off pissed Russians. 

“Do you have someone else in mind to join SG-1, Jack?” Daniel Little asked. “Where can I hand in my resumé?” 

Jack knew the kid was joking, but secretly he thought he’d take LD over Vaselov any time. “You already are a member of SG-1,” he said, “An on-base-member.”

“I take it now is not a good time to negotiate my grounded-from-gate-travel status,” the Wretch asked, tongue in cheek. 

“Not if you want us to stay friends,” Jack replied mildly and the brat snorted and gave him a cheeky grin.

“So we're sticking with the three man team?” Jackson asked. 

Jack gazed into his coffee mug, thinking about it. Why the hell not? He’d have to ask Carter if there was any rule about SG teams having to be made of four people. “It'd be one less decision I have to deal with.” 

Jackson sighed and stood. “Fine. I’m going.”

“Going - where?” Jack asked.

“To talk to Vaselov, mend fences so he won’t call his superiors. It will buy you some time until Russia’s wrath comes down on you.” 

“Thank you,” Jack said, meaning it. 

The phone rang and a moment later Daniel informed Jack that Gilmore wanted to see him. “Something about a meeting with the president's aide.”

“Hi ho hi ho,” Jack muttered, leaving his still warm coffee behind with regret.

**II**

Jack took his coffee from Gilmore the next morning, walked into his office, considered making a bonfire with the still waiting personnel files, listened to today’s schedule while he sipped his coffee and, again, wished Hammond would come back. 

“Colonel Vaselov has been assigned to the training program for gate travel, but is highly displeased about having to be trained by Teal’c, along with the new recruits,” Gilmore said at one point. 

“Displeased is he, eh? Well, can’t change that.” 

“Doctor Jackson has smoothed his ruffled feathers, but one way or the other the Russians will get wind of...”

“We’ll deal with that when they do.”

“Yes, sir. Oh, Doctor Lee wants to see you right away. And Captain Meyers is still waiting for the approval of the buffet menu for the president’s visit.”

Jack escaped his office and went to see Bill Lee in his lab, to find the good doctor tending to a tree at least ten feet high, its curling branches happily spreading out at the ceiling like ivy. Jack walked around the huge pot the plant was in now. 

Unfortunately Gilmore had followed him for some reason.

“Another growth spurt?” Jack asked, startling Lee who had just been looking at the plant’s stem with a magnifying glass. 

“Oh, General, sir, yes. If you would take a look at this?” 

Jack took the offered magnifying glass to take a closer look at the plant. He couldn’t help it. He always came to the same stunning conclusion. “It’s a plant.”

Gilmore eyeballed it and cleared his throat. “Excuse me, sir, if you don't mind my asking. Is it really wise to be bringing alien life forms through the gate?”

“It's a plant.”

Lee shrugged. “Yeah, and besides, off world teams follow strict safety protocols in determining what to bring back to Earth. You know, if human kind is going to benefit from what we find out there, we have to be able to study it in controlled situations. Look, I know our mandate is to seek out new weapons and technology to defend the planet from our enemies, but…wouldn't it be cool if we could exploit the wonders of the galaxy for other beneficial purposes, like curing disease, or, well, in this case…possibly…solving world hunger?”

Jack thought the Daniels would like that and turned to Gilmore. “What he said.” To Lee he said, “I want you to cut it down to a manageable size so that it doesn’t grow out of hand. And keep it that way.” 

“Of course, sir, no worries, we have it under control.” Lee brushed a hand over one of the leaves and the leaf started curling around Lee’s fingers.

Jack grimaced. “Careful there, Bill.”

“Oh, it just likes me. Yes, yes, it’s a plant, I know, but it seems affectionate. It likes physical contact.”

Jack pursed his lips, considering getting Lee a hamster or a cat. 

***

Daniel, BD and Major Paul Davis watched the catastrophe unfold at 08:30 am in the briefing room as the Amoran representatives got into each other’s face, literally almost nose to nose. 

And all Daniel had said was, “Yesterday we established that the Plains of Goran are going to be made accessible to all Amorans in the future.” 

They _had_ established this. Yesterday. Apparently today was another day and yesterday’s progress wasn’t relevant today. 

Tudor, the smaller one of the two Amorans, hissed. “The plains of Goran are sacred ground!”

Lambert, a feisty man with a bald head and pouty lips, smirked. “To the plainsman, yes.” 

Tudor huffed, “I _am_ a plainsman!”

Lambert waggled his eyebrows and smiled condescendingly. “I knooow.”

To which Tudor took offense. Loudly. 

Lambert chuckled. “Offense, now there's an idea!”

“Gentlemen,” Daniel tried. “If you would please take a look at the map?” There was a large map of Amoran’s two main countries on a view screen. The borders of the countries went straight through the Plains of Goran, which was the main problem. The plainsmen considered Goran their holy ground, the opposition considered Goran a land to investigate and build on. Both sides were fighting for full ownership of the land. 

Yesterday they had finally come to the point where both sides were willing to consider the Plains of Goran neutral ground for everyone allowed to pass through. No one had the right to claim the land and use it for profits or building space. 

“We do not agree to this,” Tudor spat, waving at the map. “We felt pressured yesterday.”

“Pressured,” Lambert scoffed. “No one pressured you!” He turned to Daniel. “But I agree! WE do not agree to it either! We want to use the land to our benefit!”

And with that the two men started yelling at one another again.

“This isn’t getting anywhere,” BD said quietly. “And I have to leave in three hours.”

Davis sighed and murmured. “I’ll get the general.”

“Uh...” BD started.

“I’m not sure Jack will be of much help here,” Daniel mumbled. 

“We tried everything. They reach progress, then keep revoking it. They agree on something, then say they never did. They don’t even TRY to act like adults. Maybe they will react better to authority than to diplomacy,” Davis said as he left, sounding desperate. 

He returned only moments later with Jack and his new aide in tow. Jack looked like he had a toothache, but sounded almost cheerful when he addressed the bickering Amorans. “Hey, folks, how’s it going?”

Tudor huffed, placing his hands on his hips. “General, I think it would be better…”

Lambert elbowed Tudor out of the way. “Indeed, General, I believe we should...”

“Take a break,” Daniel shouted, a little too loud, maybe. Everyone turned to look at him and he continued. “Well, I mean... we’ve been at it for an hour today and we talked for hours yesterday. It's exhausting. We could all use a break, maybe have something to eat...” 

Jack gave him a grateful look. “There you go, people. Take a break! Things will look much better after some ice cream.” 

Tudor and Lambert exchanged a glare and then started talking both at once, accusing each other of stalling the negotiations, for trying to get the better deal out of the land, for having ulterior motives, for being from sick gene pools, for being stupid Plainsmen... 

Daniel groaned and BD shuffled his papers and checked his watch. 

Davis sat back down at the briefing room table. “This is going to take a while... longer.”

Jack bent down to Daniel and whispered, “Maybe I should offer them donuts instead of ice cream?”

At that point Tudor snatched up the written protocol of their negotiation and started slapping Lambert over the head with it. To which Lambert responded by grabbing the lapels of Tudor’s tunic and shaking him roughly. 

“Maybe put them into time out?” Daniel whispered. 

Jack gave him a thoughtful look. 

Daniel shook his head, alarmed. “I was just kidding.”

But before he could say or do anything else, Jack had moved to the Amorans, placed a hand on each of their shoulders, forcing them to let go of one another and take a step back. “You know, Daniel is right. We have to continue this at a later point anyway since Doctor Jackson has to leave for a mission shortly. We've prepared special quarters for you. You can relax, get a massage, room service, whatever you need. Come on, I'll show you.” 

“Jack!” Daniel snapped. “You can’t just...” 

“At least it’ll get them out of our hair for a while,” BD muttered as they watched the Amorans being shuffled out of the room by Jack, who was followed by a flustered Gilmore, who was followed by Davis. 

“Massage and room service? What is he up to? I have a very bad feeling about this,” Daniel said.

BD nodded sagely. “Yesss, me too. But we’re running out of options. Maybe...”

“You have to get ready to leave. I’ll go after them, see what I can do.”

If Jack screwed this up and the Amorans turned against them because they felt mistreated, Jack might get chewed out by someone in DC, maybe the IOA, for jeopardizing Earth’s relationship with their alley. Foreseeing a diplomatic disaster with ugly consequences for Jack, Daniel slipped from his chair and followed the small procession headed to the SGC VIP quarters.

At least Daniel hoped Jack wasn't taking them to the brig.

He had to take the next elevator and by the time he skidded around the corner, Jack was standing in the open door to one of the VIP quarters, talking really fast. “Ha? Fellas. What do you think. All right, so it's not the Ritz, but we do what we can around here. Knock twice when you're ready to talk like adults, all right?” 

Daniel heard Tudor squeak, “WAIT! GENERAL!” 

And Lambert yell, “You don't expect us to share ONE ROOM!?”

“Not…amicably, at first. But I have great hope for you boys.” Jack jumped backwards, slammed the door shut and locked it.

From inside the muffled voices of Tudor and Lambert threatened Jack with trips to hell and the most nasty aftermath of this. 

Jack threw the keys at a waiting guard who caught them. “Nobody gets out.” 

“Sir...” Gilmore started, but Jack just walked past him.

Davis looked suspiciously smug. “I knew General O’Neill would find a creative way to deal with this.” 

Gilmore gaped at him, but Davis just shrugged. 

Jack gave Daniel a lopsided smile. “Good idea you had there.”

Daniel fell into step with him. “I was joking! I can’t believe you just did that! Don’t you have enough stuff to deal with already?” 

“Well, we won’t get any trouble from those guys for now.”

“But they're not going to just calm down and make up! And you have to let them go sooner or later. They’ll revoke their treaty with Earth. And just so you know – I’m not taking credit nor blame for this.”

Gilmore looked pale. “Sir, with all due respect, but I think Daniel has a point. We should go back and try to defuse the situation.”

They had reached the elevator by now. Jack used his ID card and then gave Gilmore a hard look. “You got kids, Gilmore?”

“Uh, no, not yet, but...”

“Believe me, there’s no way you can defuse anything there right now. I repeat my order. Nobody gets out.” He moved his glare to Daniel. “And nobody goes in. Except for feeding them, which will be taken care of by the guard, understood?” 

And suddenly Daniel felt like he had stabbed Jack in the back because he had nagged at him in front of Gilmore. Something was up with that guy, even though he was apparently here to help. 

He swallowed all his counter-arguments and forced out a, “Yes, sir.”

Gilmore looked worried, but nodded. Davis said, “I think it’s worth a try, General.”

“Well, thank you, Major,” Jack said. 

When the doors of the elevator opened a moment later, BD was standing there, papers wedged under one arm, looking puzzled. “How did it go?” he asked distractedly as he brushed past them and pressed a key. 

“Peachy,” Daniel mumbled.

“Where’re you going?” Jack checked his watch. “It’s not time for Mayan planet, yet.”

“Actually, I’m going to see Doctor Lee. He insists the plant is, uh, ah,” BD cringed, “talking to him.”

Jack retreated back into the elevator. “That I want to see.”

Daniel considered following them, but Gilmore tapped his shoulder and said, “Maybe you and Major Davis should come up with a plan. A groveling speech or something? For when the Amorans have to be released and will want to inform their government?” 

Daniel exchanged a look with Paul Davis, who cleared his throat. “Daniel, isn’t there a diplomatic tactic from way back the Amoran government might want to know about if they question our methods? Something used during our civil war or earlier?”

Daniel frowned, then nodded. “Sure, uh. It’s much older though, and hasn’t been used in a long time. But I can put together an essay about Earth diplomacy history for the Amoran government if needed.” 

Gilmore looked doubtful. “There is a diplomacy strategy that involves locking the delegations up to force them to talk?”

Daniel and Paul shared another look. 

“Sure.”

“Yeah.”

“It hasn’t been used anywhere recently, or not in a very long time, but the Amoran government gave us free rein to help with the process if needed,” Daniel added. “I just have to dig it up.”

He hurried away to make up something that sounded plausible and waterproof. 

Jack so owed him. 

***

“It’s not exactly talking, talking,” Bill Lee said when they followed him into his lab. “It’s more like a... oh, careful there, it has developed aerial roots which are clinging to everything.” 

Big Daniel brushed aside tiny roots trying to attach themselves to his shirt and hair. Jack was swatting at them when they got too close. The walls of Bill’s lab were covered in leaves and branches and Siler was hacking away at the plant in one corner. 

“I thought I told you to cut it and keep it from doing... what it’s doing,” Jack groused. 

“Yes, I know. And we are trying, but it’s really a fast grower. And it’s developing these air roots which sprout even more branches and off shoots.” Lee sounded proud, like a father would be of a child, rather than perturbed. He stopped and grinned. “The good news is it hasn't eaten anybody.”

“YET,” Jack grumbled.

Daniel snorted and Bill Lee gave them a nervous little chuckle. 

“So what does it do? And how do you get it to do it?” Daniel asked. He looked at the plant, noticing that the stem wasn’t really just one stem but half a dozen strong brown and green strands, each the diameter of a man’s arm. The strands were slung around each other like a tight braid. 

“Ahhh, watch this!” Bill Lee reached out and started brushing his fingertips over one of the large, glossy leaves. Suddenly the branch the leaf was attached to shot out and twined itself around the scientist’s wrist, crawling up his arm to shoulder height. 

“Whoa!” Jack barked out. 

“It’s okay... it’s okay, just watch. It won’t harm me,” Bill hurried to say. He balled his hand into a lose fist and placed it, knuckles down, against the side of the plant's pot. For the length of a minute or so nothing happened, then Bill’s forearm started to jerk in small movements and the knuckles of his hand began tapping the hard surface of the table the pot was sitting on.

“There’s a pattern,” Lee whispered, his hand still tapping away with shorter and longer pauses in between. “Can you hear that?”

Daniel felt his jaw dropping in slow motion. “That’s...”

“Feed me, Seymour, feed me,” a dark raspy voice demanded from behind Daniel and at the same time the plant released Bill’s arm. 

Bill let out another nervous snicker and Daniel closed his eyes briefly. “Thank you, Jack, that was very helpful. Not.”

“Hey, what else would it want?” Jack gave the plant the hairy eyeball. “Water and food. It’s a damn plant. And I want it gone, Doctor Lee. ASAP. Before it swallows the whole base.”

Doctor Lee nodded agreeable, but at the same time asked, “Can’t we at least try to figure out what it's saying? It’s worth a try?” 

“It’s a PLANT!” Jack batted away another branch edging towards him.

“No, it’s a life form,” Daniel corrected him. 

“I want it gone. The president is going to arrive in three days and we don’t need Audrey II crawling up his pant legs during the dinner buffet,” Jack said, then paused and continued. “Speaking of which... I need to check and approve the buffet menu.”

Daniel watched him stalk out and, tapping his forefinger to his chin, turned back to Doctor Lee. “Can you do that again?”

Bill shrugged. “Sure.” 

*** 

On his way back to his office Jack almost stumbled over a guy who was crouched in the middle of the corridor, cursing a blue streak in what sounded like Russian as he was collecting file folders and papers scattered all around him. Being reminded of Daniel in his early years when he’d kept running into people because he was reading reports or books while walking the hallways of the SGC, Jack went down to help. The man gave him a shy smile, adjusted his glasses and introduced himself as Doctor Radek Zelenka. Jack remembered he was part of the Atlantis team; a physicist or something. Czech, not Russia. 

Having sent Zelenka and the recollected files on his way, Jack returned to his office, longing for a Tylenol and coffee. He stopped in his doorway at the sight of Little Daniel sitting in one of his visitor chairs, swinging his legs. 

Jack rubbed his aching temple with one hand and walked in, determined to dodge any of Daniel’s attempts to talk him around in the Amoran matter. “Just the guy I was looking for,” he said briskly as he walked in. “I need your help.” 

Daniel’s head whipped around and he slipped from the chair. “Is your administrative aide with you?” he asked quietly, craning his neck to look past Jack. 

“Nope. I lost him somewhere,” Jack replied in a stage whisper, pushing the door to his office shut with the heel of his right boot.

Daniel flashed him a quick smile, but sobered up quickly. “Jack, about the Amorans...”

 _Oh, here we go..._ “Daniel, I know it’s not your usual smooth solution and it’s not by the golden book of diplomacy, but they were seriously out of hand and if I have to lock them away until after the president’s visit, so be it.”

“That’s another three days!”

“They’ll get the very best care. Fruit baskets, pastries, a Play Station if they want one...”

“Ja-ack...”

“Da-niel.”

“Look, I’m sorry I nagged at you while Gilmore was there. Especially since Major Davis backed you up. I shouldn’t have said anything there, but...”

“But you felt strongly you had to,” Jack finished the sentence for him, torn between mild annoyance and the knowledge that Daniel was just trying to do his job. And, which somehow made it worse, to protect him. 

Daniel bit his lip. “Yeah. Because you...”

“Because you think I’m going to get my ass kicked for this one by the IOA if the Amorans file their complaint.”

“Well, you have already pissed off the Russains, too...”

“They haven’t called, yet,” Jack said, parking his butt on the edge of his desk. 

“Because BD talked to Vaselov and convinced him not to whine to his superiors, yet. Jack, you’re not a colonel anymore. You can’t... There’s no one above you pulling the coals out of the fire for you.” Daniel held Jack’s glowering gaze. 

“And you think I’m making the wrong decisions.” It wasn’t a question. And maybe the kid was right. Maybe he was. Maybe he should have retired. 

Daniel opened his mouth, closed it and finally looked away. “I...”

“Your opinion is noted and I appreciate you being honest with me,” Jack said. “After all, you’re still my civilian consultant. One of them, anyway.”

Daniel nodded. “Right.” Then he blinked. “You’re not mad?”

“Nope.”

“But you’re still going to do this your way?”

“Yep.”

“And if BD would have...”

“I’d still do it my way. There’re times I listen to you and there’re times I won’t. Nothing’s changed there.”

“But, Jack...” Daniel squirmed in his seat. “What if...”

“I want you or Jackson to look in on them tonight and see how they’re doing, ask them if they feel like continuing negotiation like civilized people tomorrow. But you’re not going in there or letting them out until you can report to me they're ready and I tell you to let them go. Can you do that?” 

Daniel took a deep breath. “Yes. But only because I don’t want Gilmore guy getting any ideas.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. Smart as a whip, that was Daniel. “Good enough.”

“What if you’re making the wrong call?” Daniel asked softly.

“Then I’m going to tell them you advised me otherwise and face the music.”

“This isn’t about who’s right, Jack.”

He could see the honest concern in his kid’s eyes and he knew there was a high possibility of Daniel being right. He also knew that making command decisions on a hunch might work in the field, but when dealing with politics it could backfire badly. He had to see this through, though. And he had to test the waters with the higher ups in DC, had to know how much latitude they were going to give him in this position. How much of a free hand he really had to run the SGC the way he thought was best. 

Not that he had entirely figured that out yet.

The phone was ringing and he motioned for Daniel to stay as he picked it up and was confronted with a very upset general, yelling at him in Russian. Jack held the phone away from his ear and mouthed, “Russia,” to Daniel, who blanched and sucked in his bottom lip. 

“General Chekov,” Jack interrupted the flow of Russian words brightly. “What can I do for you on this fine day? How’s the wife? The family...” Chekov wasn’t pleased and not inclined to talk about his wife or family and let Jack know so in no uncertain terms. But at least he switched to English to voice his opinion of Colonel Vaselov being forced into the gate training program with the new recruits. Jack let him talk, allowed him to let off some steam. Hey, he had learned a hell of a lot about how to handle situations like this over the last two years. 

When he thought it safe to get a word in, he said, “I understand you’re not happy with how we do things here, but fact is that everyone goes through the proper training before they’re put on an off world team. Civilians and new recruits as well as seasoned personnel assigned from other bases. We’ve learned through experience that basic training with enemy weapons and a gate travel 101 is crucial to prepare teams for what’s out there. Yes... yes you can inform your superiors if that’s how you feel about it, but that’s not gonna change the way it’s done.” Chekov continued huffing and puffing for a moment, then hung up on Jack. 

Daniel stared at him from the other side of the desk. “Bad?”

“He has an impressive repertoire of swear words.” 

Daniel cringed.

Jack stood, stretched his back and said, “You ready to tackle the buffet menu for the president dinner and approve Captain Meyer’s choices?” 

Daniel grinned. “Isn’t that classified?”

“I hereby clear you to know what’s on the menu if you keep the disclosure clause in mind.” 

“I’m honored, General O’Neill.”

They went down to the commissary and read through the menu choices, tasted samples of desserts and ended up with a nice variety of starters and a main course buffet of s _liced beef, ham, chicken, poached salmon, new potatoes and French fries. They also chose a variety of salads, coleslaw and bread. Daniel chose cheesecake, chocolate mousse and cheese with biscuits for dessert and it was all topped with coffee and mints._

_By the time they were done, Gilmore showed up from somewhere to remind Jack of his afternoon schedule and he left Daniel to the bowl of ice cream Captain Meyers treated him to, to attend the next briefing and the next and the next..._

_In theory._

_In reality Jack made it through the second briefing before Gilmore showed up again, face lined with worry, informing him Doctor Jackson was in the infirmary and Doctor Fraiser wanted a word with Jack. Oh, and Doctor Lee needed some advice regarding Audrey II._

_**III** _

Doctor Daniel Jackson was sitting on an infirmary bed, waiting for the inevitable to happen. There was Jack strolling in, scowl firmly in place. 

Daniel gently covered his left hand with his right, careful not to squash anything. 

Janet had gone to find a botanist who specialized in alien fauna. 

Jack stopped in front of him, hands stuffed into the pockets of his blue BDU pants. “What happened?”

“Ah,” Daniel said, moistening his lips with his tongue. “Actually, that’s... a funny story.”

“I like funny,” Jack said.

“Good. You didn’t have to come down here, though. It’s not life threatening and I’m sure you have places to be, people to meet, buffet menus to approve, playing diplomatic mediator to the Amorans?” It was meant as a joke, but it probably sounded desperate. 

“ _That’s_ not funny,” Jack said mildly. 

Daniel groaned inwardly as something moved gently under his right palm. “Sorry. But I’m fine.”

“Fraiser called me because you’re... what happened?” Jack asked again. “And where’s Fraiser?”

“Oh, she’s just... Hey, Bill had trouble with that plant. He said they underestimated its growing strength and they are now trying to burn it. Maybe you should go and make sure they don’t burn the SGC down?” He cringed when Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Just saying. There’s nothing to look at here. I’m okay.” 

“Yeah, you _look_ great.”

“I feel great, too.” And that wasn’t a lie. He didn’t feel sick. Not at all. He wasn’t in any pain either. 

“Good. So, why are you here?”

“Ah, I got stung. By that plant. But...”

“Stung? It has thorns now?” 

“Um, no, not really. Okay, it didn’t exactly _sting_ me. It just kind of bit me, maybe.” He waited for it. One. Two. Three...

“I knew it! Audrey II wanted her lunch.” Jack sounded smug, but also slightly perturbed. 

“I’m fine. No harm done.” Daniel shrugged and smiled through gritted teeth. 

The clicking of high heels announced Janet’s return and Daniel closed his eyes in defeat. Any moment now... 

Janet breezed in, accompanied by another woman. “General, Daniel - this is Doctor Brown. She’s the assigned botanist to the Atlantis expedition. Daniel, we need to take another look at your hand, please?” 

Jack hung back, but still had a clear view of everything. “Yes, Doctor Jackson – let’s take a look at your hand, shall we?” 

Doctor Brown smiled and pulled a small magnifying glass from the pocked of her lab coat. “Hello, Doctor Jackson. What exactly happened?”

“I was helping Doctor Lee with this alien plant and it somehow tried to stick its roots into me...”

Jack coughed slightly and Daniel rolled his eyes. “In my hand. I felt a sting, then it withdrew. There was not even an entry mark on my skin. It itched for a moment, but that was it. I was getting ready to go through the gate, when...” Irritated, Daniel turned to Janet. “Does Jack have to be here for this?”

“I’m sorry, Daniel, but you’re possessed … infected... by an alien life form, so yes, the general needs to know,” Janet said.

“It’s a _plant_ ,” Daniel pointed out. 

“You said it’s a life form,” Jack said. “Hand?” He waved his hand in front of Daniel's face. 

“Fine.” Daniel pointedly did not look at Jack as he held his left hand out to Doctor Brown for examination. 

Doctor Brown’s eyes widened and Janet said, alarmed, “It developed another leaf. There were only two when I left here five minutes ago.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it. Well, the plant resembles a Ficus, but I’ve never seen one growing out of people’s hands. Or other body parts for that matter,” Doctor Brown exclaimed.

She took Daniel’s wrist and held it up, clearly fascinated by the fragile looking stem with the three small leaves growing out of the back of his hand. She studied it with her magnifying glass. “I can see where it broke through the skin, even though there doesn't seem to be actual tissue damage. Have you done an x-ray to see how deep the roots go, Doctor Fraiser?”

Janet shook her head. “The seed is placed right under the skin. We did an ultrasonographic scan and it didn’t show any deeper movement of the roots. They are very small and didn’t attach to any major arteries.”

“Is it drinking his blood?” Jack asked, sounding spooked and fascinated at the same time. 

Doctor Brown nodded. “Most likely. It seems the plant is feeding on Doctor Jackson in order to grow. We should try to remove it in surgery. Where does it come from?” 

“It was brought through from another planet and is currently in Doctor Lee’s lab where it has rooted into the walls and the ventilation system. It’s a jungle down there. Doctor Lee says it’s responding to any kind of light. Sam thinks that the plant consumes light and in return gives off an energy pulse that helps its seedlings grow,” Daniel rattled. “We think the plant is sentient and might just want to communicate with us.”

“By trying to make baby plants with you?” Jack asked, sounding bewildered. 

“What it did was try to communicate through Bill. It forced him to tap some kind of code, similar to Morse code, on a table. There was a pattern and I was trying to figure out what it wanted when it suddenly grabbed me and...” Daniel raised his hand and Jack took a step back. 

“Okay. Before we do anything I would like to take a look at the mother plant and talk to Doctor Lee,” Doctor Brown stated. 

“Mother plant?” Daniel groaned. “Seriously?”

“Well, it put a seedling into you so technically speaking, yes, that would make it...”

“I'm getting the picture, thank you,” Daniel said flatly.

Janet said. “I’m coming with you, Katie. Maybe we can figure this out together.” She gave the small plant a long look. “Daniel, I want you to stay here. We’ll do an x-ray of your hand before surgery to see if the roots are still where they were before it got another leaf.”

With that the two doctors hurried out. 

“Tell Bill to turn off the light,” Jack called after them.

Daniel gazed up at the ceiling, knowing from experience that this might not go over well. “I need to go back to that planet.”

“Why? To branch out?” Jack grabbed a chair, turned it around and settled on it, resting his arms on its back.

“Because I think that’s what it wants me to do. To carry its seedling back where it belongs.”

“That’s what it told you?”

“No. No, it didn’t talk to me. But after all these years of dealing with weird life forms, isn’t that what experience taught us? That it most likely just wants to go home? That it didn’t make me its incubator, whatever, just for fun?” 

Jack shrugged. “Maybe it has a crush on you.” 

Daniel gave Jack an irritated glare. “When you’re done being an ass, maybe you could tell Janet to let me go and take the plant home.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve got a better idea. Janet is going to cut it out and we’ll send it through the gate on its own. In a pot.”

“It’ll probably leave me once I’m there,” Daniel said with forced patience.

“Or it’ll branch out and you’ll end up being a living tree.”

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jack...”

“I’m not letting you go,” Jack said and there was something in his voice, something steely and final, that made Daniel snap his head up and look at him. 

_He knows about Atlantis_ , Daniel thought, a flutter of unease at the pit of his stomach. He didn’t know how to respond to that, so he focused on the matter at hand. “We could go back down to the lab and ask the plant what it wants. Let me try and talk to it. Let me... Let...” 

From one second to the next a torch of hot, red, liquid fire was shooting up inside his arm, twining its way around nerve endings, muscles, bones and joints. Daniel could feel the roots move under his skin. 

_Otot otot otot..._ And Daniel’s mind translated it to _... home home home..._

It whispered in his veins, in his mind, like wind rustling in trees, h _ome home home._

Daniel heard his own scream of pain as he jumped off the bed and broke down, clutching his arm. He heard Jack yelling for medical assistance, then he felt hands gripping his shoulders and he was held tightly. Heard Jack calling his name, telling him to hang in there...

Daniel gritted his teeth. Sweat was trickling down his temple. And still the roots found their way through his body. Shoulder, neck... 

He slammed against Jack, pushing him off. Stumbling to his feet, Daniel started moving, running, the pain fueling his desire to go... 

_Home home home home_

Yes, home. He had to go home. His way was blocked by an SF in the hallway. Daniel punched him, once, twice, three times. The SF was on the floor and Daniel bent, grabbed his gun, started running.

He had to... 

_Home home home home_

...go home. 

The pain pulsed in his arm, his shoulder, his neck. His head was going to explode. But he didn’t slow down as he jumped into the elevator, dug out his card, swiped it through and punched in the right level. He leaned against the wall, cradling the gun to his chest with both hands. 

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fight the rustling of leaves in his head, trying to stop the whispering of the one word over and over and over.

 _I’m getting you home,_ he thought desperately, _but you have to stop.... you have to stop hurting people._

The reply was always the same 

_Home home home home_

When Daniel stared at his hand he spotted two more leaves on the stem. 

“Please,” he groaned, hoarsely, “I’m going to help...” 

But he was driven out of the elevator and down the corridor, into the gate room – where he was faced with P90's aimed at him. 

Sam’s voice over the speaker. “STAND DOWN!” 

Then Jack’s voice from behind him. Loud but steady. “Daniel! Fight it!” 

Daniel raised the gun at the SF closest to him.

“Daniel, stop! What does it want? Try talking to it.” 

“Home,” Daniel blurted out. Then a movement on the other side of the gate room caught his attention. 

The door opened, Teal’c was there. “DanielJackson!” 

Daniel pulled the trigger and the SF closest to him went down in slow motion. Then there was a blast of blue light and Daniel’s body was jerked off his feet, the gun slipping his slack fingers. 

And still it was telling him to go... 

_Home home home HOME_

His fingers flexed; he felt the plant moving his arm. His hand reached towards the gun and as his fingers closed around it, Jack yelled his name again. And again.

But he had to go home. 

He raised the gun again, rolled onto his side, came to his knees. 

There was one single shot exploding close to his head, the sound deafening him, drowning out everything, including the plant’s chanting whispers. There was pain, too, first sharp, then dull... and something warm running down his arm. 

He felt the roots receding, coiling, pulling away, the connection faltering.

Then he felt nothing at all. 

***

“He’s out of surgery.” The words were accompanied by a smile and a nod – telling them all they needed to know. “There was no bone damage and all we had to do was remove the bullet from his upper arm and the plant from his wrist. I can only take a wild guess – it must have somehow branched out inside his arm, up to his shoulder and to his neck where it probably wrapped around the spinal chord... whatever it did to take Daniel over, it receded without damaging him. Your shot must have broken the connection, sir. He lost some blood and due to the plant his white blood cell count is a bit off the scale, but he got very lucky. He should actually be able to go back to light duty in a couple of days.” 

Janet had called them into her office and was giving them a rundown of the situation. With Little Daniel, Teal’c, Sam and Jack standing at her desk, the room was pretty crammed. 

“Can we see him?” Sam asked. 

“Sure. He woke up briefly after surgery, but went back to sleep. We gave him a mild sedative to lower the pain of the shot wound.” 

“How is Sergeant Wilkes?” Daniel asked. 

“He’ll be fine, too. I think the plant didn’t want Daniel to shoot to kill, it just wanted to go through the gate and acted on instinct. Sgt Wilkes will make a complete recovery,” Janet said. 

Daniel was relieved at the news and he could see the same relief in the faces of his friends as they looked at one another. _BD_ i _s still going to feel guilty about shooting Wilkes_ , Daniel thought sadly. And then, totally unrelated to what had happened, he wondered if Jack was finally going to make his move. 

So much was going on in their lives right now and Daniel knew the SGC was the foremost thing on Jack’s mind. Trying to get his footing and establish a routine that had always seemed so easy and organized when General Hammond had been sitting behind that desk. 

But Daniel ached for them to finally give in to, and accept, the fact that they were allowed to be happy. That they deserved this. He had a pretty good idea about what made BD retreat, but he hoped, no, he knew, that if they really wanted this, they’d get past it. Together. However, he also knew this was something they had to solve on their own and that he could only cheer them on from the sidelines. 

Maybe with BD in the infirmary Jack would be shaken enough to stop focusing on work long enough to get things moving in the right direction. 

Sgt. Wilkes was in the same room as BD, wide awake reading a MAD magazine. He sat up a little more straight when he spotted Jack, but Jack gave the man a smile and asked him how he was doing. Wilkes shrugged. “Better than Doctor Jackson, I guess. The bullet only grazed me, which was amazing considering how close I was.” He glanced at his bandaged leg and then at the dripping IV attached to his wrist. “Doc Fraiser gave me enough happy drugs to keep me comfy.”

“Can’t have enough happy juice, eh?” Jack said. “Doc says you're going to make a speedy recovery, son.”

Wilkes nodded. “Yes, sir. What about Doctor Jackson? He’ll be all right?” There was no resentfulness in the man’s voice. Everyone working at the SGC knew that strange behavior of personnel could be related to alien influence and if one of SG-1 was shooting about the gate room, it had to be because of a disease or some other weird reason. Daniel thought that those SF guarding the gate room had probably seen it all without ever going through the gate. 

“He’ll be fine,” Jack said confidently.

“I sure hope so,” Wilkes said. 

Daniel was oddly touched by the honest compassion in the soldier’s voice for the guy who’d shot him. 

BD was lying in a bed across from Wilkes, asleep, his arm and shoulder bandaged and in a black sling. There was a band aid on his hand where the plant had been removed. 

“We need to get rid of that damn plant,” Jack said grimly when they had all gathered around the bed

As if on cue, Gilmore’s wiry form appeared at the doorway. He crossed the room and cast BD an uncomfortable look before he addressed Jack. “Sir, Doctor Lee...” 

“Yes, I know,” Jack said. “I’m on my way.” He sounded stoic, but there was something flinty in his eyes only Daniel could see before he turned away.

“We’ll stay here,” Daniel said quietly. 

“We will inform you when DanielJackson is awake,” Teal’c added.

“Yeah.” Jack nodded and followed Gilmore out.

Sam brushed a hand over BD’s good arm. “I’ll go with them. Maybe we’ll find a way to stop that thing from growing all over the place like the hedge in Sleeping Beauty.”

“Will they have to cancel the president’s visit if they can’t stop the plant?” Daniel wondered aloud as he watched her leave. 

“If the plant can be contained to one level then maybe not,” Teal’c said as they settled on chairs by BD’s bed.

“I feel sorry for Jack. Things are going from bad to worse to awful.” 

“Do you not believe O’Neill will master this crisis as cunningly as General Hammond would?” Teal’c asked. 

“Oh, you know Jack. He’s... different,” Daniel said. “Maybe he’s not made for a desk job and politics and...” He trailed off, feeling bad about his own doubts. 

“O’Neill is great warrior.”

“Yes. Yes, he is. He’s great in the field. Maybe that’s it. He should be out there. Not in here, fighting paper work and Russian generals or alien plants.” Daniel leaned back in his chair and looked up at Teal’c. “I know he hasn’t been out in the field for a while, with exceptions of course. He’s been working at the SGC for months now, as General Hammond’s 2IC and he always hated it. The paper work, being desk bound... now he’s not only desk bound and has to deal with the paper work, he also has the whole responsibility on his shoulders and he has to put up with a watch dog they set on him and...” _And_ , Daniel thought with a sudden pang of guilt he thought he’d gotten over a long time ago, _Jack is doing all this because..._ “he took the promotion because of me, Teal’c. He stopped going off world full time because of me and he took this position because of me.” Daniel didn’t regret the choice he’d made. But still he couldn’t help feeling responsible for Jack’s dilemma. 

“Sometimes sacrifices are part of being a parent. Or a good friend. Some sacrifices are easy when we make them for the ones we love. And O’Neill loves you.”

“I know,” Daniel said. “But it’s not fair.”

“You have made many choices keeping in mind your friend’s needs. You always put your friends first, Daniel,” Teal’c said. “Yet, you cannot bear being the one to be put first by your friends.”

“It’s always easier to be the one making choices or sacrifices based on your friend’s needs. Easier than being that friend and seeing others making choices that put you first.” 

Teal’c bowed his head in agreement, but said, “It was his choice. And General Hammond believes in O’Neill’s skills as the leader of the SGC.”

Daniel looked at his feet stuck in black sneakers. When he had stopped going off world he’d stopped wearing the heavy military boots. Janet had recommended lighter shoes. Something about his feet still growing or something. So he wore sneakers with his BDUs. 

“It’s not that I don’t believe in him,” Daniel said after a moment. “I do. He just seems to be struggling.” 

“When I began to serve Apophis as his First Prime I did not believe I would survive the first week. I was convinced he would kill me within days for not being efficient.” 

Daniel glanced at Teal’c. “Really? But you did. You were efficient.”

“Indeed.”

“I know it’s about taking it one step at a time and getting used to it all. It’s not like I haven’t been there before. He just seems like a fish out of water.” Jack had always been such a natural leader in Daniel’s eyes. It didn’t matter that Daniel and Jack had butted heads over many things. Most of the time Jack had known when to leave the trouble shooting to his people and yet he’d always been the man holding the reins. He’d had a natural confidence about himself and about how to lead his team. 

Being stuck behind that desk Jack seemed to have lost some of that confidence. Not on the outside, oh no. No one who didn’t know Jack very well would see it. But SG-1 were the people closest to Jack and Daniel was sure that the others sensed it, too, no matter what Teal’c said.

But then again, maybe Daniel just had to get used to seeing Jack behind that desk just as much as Jack had to get used to be behind that desk.   


tbc  



	2. Chapter 2

**IV**

“Doctor Lee reported they have to close down the entire level and seal it off. Not only does the plant have amazing growth properties, but it's proving extremely difficult to eradicate,” Gilmore informed Jack as they squeezed through the small path the plant had left open for them to walk through. 

“No, really?” Jack asked, batting away a branch reaching out for him. 

“It’s totally out of control,” Carter, who had caught up to them, said. “Sir, we might have to cancel the president’s visit.”

“Two more days, Carter,” Jack said with more confidence than he felt. 

They passed Siler who was using a blow torch on the plant with no success. Lee came towards them, waving his arms. “The good news is – it didn’t bite anyone else.” He sneezed. “The bad news is that I’m starting to be allergic to it. Oh, and it's using the ventilation shafts to spread airborne spores to other rooms.”

“I know,” Jack said darkly.

“Yes, yes, yes of course you know, sir. Well, I still have a couple of things up my sleeve we haven’t tried yet.”

“Try them?” Jack suggested. 

“I’m on it.” Lee turned and hurried away, sneezing.

Gilmore had moved away to watch Siler work.

Carter let out a frustrated breath. “Sir, I’m sorry, this is my fault. I wanted to bring it through because of its energy readings. That there was a whole jungle out there consisting almost only of this plant should have been a give away. And now it’s not even worth all the hassle because we can’t extract the energy from the plant. It’s tied to it and of no use to us.”

Jack held up a finger. “Aht. You took a seedling, Carter. You put it in a pot. There’s no way you could have known it would turn into Audrey II or Jack’s beanstalk. We bring all kind of crap in here to study. Remember Reese?”

She looked uncomfortable. “Yes, sir. That was my idea, too.”

“Right. What about that thingy that nailed me against the wall of the gate room?”

“Well, yes, that was my idea, too. And, uh, Daniel’s, maybe.”

“O-kay. So, you, Daniel... not the point. I agreed to bringing that da n plant through.”

She gave him a weak smile. “Yes, sir.” Suddenly she frowned. “Sir, I think I might have... “

Jack looked at her expectantly. “An idea?”

Whatever she was saying got drowned out by the klaxons going off just as the hall lights went dark and the green-ish emergency lights came on with a hollow clacking sound as the generator sprang to life. 

“I want to try something,” Carter said. “I was thinking of that orb you were talking about and how it...”

“Carter, whatever you think might work – just do it. I gotta go to the control room,” Jack said. As he was jogging down the hall he yelled, “Keep me posted though!”

Walter was at his post in the green-lit control room. Just as Jack entered all monitors came back to life as backup generators kicked in here, too. 

“The dialing computer's offline, sir,” Walter said without looking up. 

“Get Siler in here,” Jack ordered. 

“Already called him. He thinks a circuit board got fried. Incoming wormholes will connect and we can still receive radio communication and IDCs, but…”

“The iris?”

“Manual control. But we can’t dial out manually. There was a gate diagnostic running when the power went down. The gate is stuck. Could be something to do with the commands being exchanged at the time.”

Jack nodded. “So no one gets out, but teams can still come in. That it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay. At least we won’t have to send our people to the Beta Site during this mess.”

The wall phone rang and a moment later Gilmore handed it over to Jack. How the hell did that guy manage to always be so close? 

It was Daniel on the phone. “BD is awake!” 

Jack hung up. “I’m in the infirmary.”

Gilmore looked at his nifty digital organizer. “But, sir, what about the...”

“Carter is working on the plant problem and Siler and his team are going to work on the power problem.”

“What about...”

But Jack was already out of the control room and on his way to where he was really needed. 

The love of Jack’s life was sitting up, hair disheveled from sleep, eyes big as saucers. Little Daniel, Teal’c and Fraiser were standing around his bed. Fraiser was checking Jackson’s pulse. 

“Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” For someone who had just been through surgery Jackson was pretty vocal and pretty pissed.

“You’re recovering from a gunshot wound. And you should take it easy for a while,” Fraiser said dryly.

Jackson stared at his arm, then at Jack. “What?!”

Teal’c cocked his head. “You have no recollection of the incident, DanielJackson?”

DanielJackson did not. “No-o. Who shot me?!”

Jack moved to stand at the foot of his bed, just enjoying the sight of messy hair and the crease of confused annoyance between Jackson’s eyes. 

_Alive._

“Don’t... change the subject,” Jack said with a put upon scowl. “What do you remember?”

“Remember?” Jackson’s eyes darted over to T and Daniel, then back to Jack. “I was seeing Janet because that plant put a seed into me. I was trying to ignore all your bad jokes and... that’s it. Oh, there was a botanist looking at my...” Jackson looked down at the band aid on the back of his hand. “It’s gone.” He looked at Fraiser. “You took it out?”

“Yes, we did. You don’t remember anything else? That you left the infirmary and tried to go through the gate?”

Jackson’s eyes returned to lock on Jack’s even as he answered Fraiser’s question. “No. _Who_ shot me?”

Jack huffed a breath and glanced at Daniel, who gave him a sideways look. Teal’c tilted his head in Jack’s direction. When Jack looked back at Jackson, he was presented with the Daniel-guppy-expression. Jaw hitting the floor, eyes popping. 

Jack bit his lip and tapped his fingers on the bed frame. “You were shooting up the gate room,” he blurted.

“You, uh, wounded a guard. Not badly, though,” Daniel piped up. 

“ _What?!_ Who?”

”Sgt Wilkes. We moved him to another room to give you some privacy. He’s going to be all right – so don’t worry,” Fraiser hurried to say. “You calm down and get _some_ rest. One of the nurses is going to bring you some soup later.” 

Jackson squinted. “What’s up with the light?” he asked out of the blue. 

“Emergency lights. Power failure,” Jack informed him. “Damn plant.”

Daniel said, “I better go and check on Flyboy. He probably needs out.” 

“I will accompany you,” Teal’c put a large hand on the kid’s shoulder and then it was just the two of them facing each other in the dimmed light.

***

Daniel slumped back into the thick pillow and winced at the pain shooting up his arm. Bad move. Very bad. “What else did I do? I have no idea what happened,” he groaned.

Jack walked around the bed, pulled a chair over and slouched on it. “Oh, first you tried to slam me against the wall, more or less successfully, then you punched Sgt Jenner and took his gun. And yes, he’s fine, just a nice shiner. Then you walked into the gate room and shot Wilkes. Apparently the plant didn’t know it should have gone to the control room first to dial out. Or maybe you didn’t tell it. T zatted you once, but it didn’t slow you down much...” 

“So you shot me.”

“Better than being zatted twice,” Jack said with a shrug.

“There’s that.” Daniel sighed. 

“Hey, anytime, plant boy. You’re welcome.”

Daniel snorted. He couldn’t help it. 

Jack gave him a crooked grin. 

“Are we on lock down because of the plant? How long was I out of it anyway?” Daniel asked after a stretch of silence. 

“No lock down, not yet. You were out for the count a couple of hours. Carter is trying to kill that plant.”

There was a faint echo in Daniel’s head. A memory. _Home home home..._

“I was right. I remember something. All it wanted was to go back home. Maybe the mother plant just wanted to make sure that some of it survives. Or maybe it was trying to send the seedling through to deliver a message to the other plants; to the jungle.” He shook his head. “It must have understood I wanted to go back to its planet. But then....” He looked at Jack. “You said you wouldn’t let me go. The seedling must have understood you were keeping me from going through the gate and so it took action. That’s what I think, anyway.”

Jack stared at him. “It’s a damn _plant._ ”

“It’s a life form.”

“Okay. Let me guess. This is the moment where you’re going to tell me not to kill it.” Jack looked tired. But also kind of amused. “You know, I kept waiting for the kid to tell me that. But apparently little you is more concerned about the Russians and the Amorans than the plant-life-form.”

“I know it’s too big to be removed from base and transported back to the planet,” Daniel said. “If you’d let me try to talk to it again...”

“You’re kidding, right? It put a seedling into you! No one is trying to talk to that thing again.”

“It was a misunderstanding.”

“Why did I know you’d say that.” Jack rubbed a hand over his eyes. He really looked tired. Exhausted. 

“When was the last time you slept, Jack?” 

“Oh, a couple hours last night. Had a crap load of paper work to take care off after we got home. Still need those personnel files sorted out though. Don’t know how Hammond did it. It seems to breed on my desk. Even after Walter gave Gilmore enough paper work for a week.” 

“You have a 2IC. Reynolds, right? Delegate. You know how to delegate,” Daniel said.

Jack stretched his legs, crossed his ankles and leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands behind his neck. “It’s been six weeks. Walter is annoyed with me, Reynolds has a team to lead, Carter probably pities me, Daniel thinks I screwed up with the Amorans and the Russians and he’s probably right. God knows what Teal’c thinks. And only Hammond knows why he thought I could replace him.” 

“Walter is used to do things the way Hammond did. And you had a team to lead when you were Hammond’s 2IC and still managed to do the job. No one pities you. And the Amorans are a pest to deal with on any good day. The Russians have to accept you’re in command here.” Daniel carefully turned to his right side, wincing as his left arm complained. Facing Jack, he said, “You’ll get used to this. We all will. And you’re not on your own.”

Jack didn’t say anything for a long time, just looked at him and Daniel wished he could see his eyes better. He felt the silence thicken. Not uncomfortable, but pregnant with unspoken words, unasked questions. 

_I’m not letting you go._

Daniel rolled on his back, staring at the dark ceiling, wishing Jack would leave. Hoping that he wouldn’t. 

“When are you going to come home?”

The soft spoken question hovered in the room, pulsing like a red neon sign. It wasn’t about moving house or getting married. They could never openly do that. But it was all about coming home, knowing where you belong, being together. 

“I don’t know. I don’t think I can,” Daniel replied, keeping his voice as low pitched as Jack’s.

“Can’t or won’t?” 

“It’s...” He had dreaded this conversation. Had known it was going to happen sooner or later. And had dreaded it. He had been amazed it hadn’t happened earlier, but Jack had a lot of stuff to deal with, so Daniel had been hiding behind work and missions. “I just can’t. Not now. Maybe not... in a very long time.”

“Tell me this isn’t about the star on my uniform,” Jack said, the same steely tone to his still low voice he had had earlier. _I’m not letting you go._

“No. It’s not the star or your position. It’s never about that.” The star made it a tad more difficult, but when had they ever let that stop them. If they’d never broken up, Jack would have ended up with that star, too, some day. And it wouldn’t have made a difference. 

There were no more questions, but Daniel could feel Jack’s eyes burning a hole into him. 

What was he supposed to say? How could he possibly... “Elisabeth said I could...”

“No.” 

“Jack...”

“Not gonna happen.” 

“Are you pulling rank on me?” 

“If that’s what it takes.” 

“Hello? Civilian here?” 

Jack rolled his eyes.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched Jack leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Talk to me, Daniel.”

He almost smiled, knowing that tone all too well from when Jack _used_ it on little-him. Didn’t work on this version. No way. “I need some time,” he heard himself say only a heartbeat later. “Some time alone.” 

“In Pegasus?” 

“Yes. No. I don’t know.” They shouldn’t discuss this here of all places. The camera didn’t record audio and there was no one in the room with them. Yet, privacy usually didn’t last long around here. Nurses would come in to fuss over him eventually, or Janet wanted to check on him. But Daniel forced himself to go on because he owed Jack at least an explanation. “It won’t work. I’m... I can’t give you what you want.”

He looked at Jack, saw the hurt, the confusion... all over his face in an unusual display of openness. Then he saw the exact moment when Jack got it. When it registered. Just a quick widening of eyes, a twist of his mouth, a twitch in his jaw. 

Ba’al had won. 

“And what exactly do you think I want?” Jack asked, keeping his tone conversational, forced calmness. 

“A relationship,” Daniel said matter-of-fact. “A real relationship. I can’t give you that. Not... the full nine yards.” He felt ridiculous. It wasn’t that he couldn’t say the words. _I can't get it up._ It was just that having this talk _here_ messed with years of having to be careful. Of keeping it out of the mountain, away from it. 

“Come home,” Jack said again.

“I can’t...”

“Yes. You can. It’ll be enough.”

“No. It won’t be fair.” 

He had watched Jack go into that bathroom on Atlantis in the mornings. Not every morning, but on most of them. When they had woken up spooning, snuggling. The kid had given them this little piece of privacy by leaving the quarters early once Jack had gotten over his protective streak somewhat. Daniel had never heard any sound coming from the bathroom, had never seen Jack jerking himself off, never seen any traces in the shower or elsewhere. But he’d known. Because with Jack plastered against his back there was no way Daniel could have missed the evidence. 

Daniel had always loved it, way back when they had shared the bed, the tent, and recently on Atlantis, when they had shared the bed again; the waking-up-together – without anything happening but those moments of breathing each other in, feeling Jack’s arms wrapped around him, feeling Jack nestled against him. He’d craved it. 

Yet, he never, not once, had to use the bathroom and the shower in Atlantis to get rid of his morning wood. Because there was no need to get rid of something that wasn’t there in the first place. 

He had hoped it’d come back to life once they were home and normal life went on. Had shrugged it off as something he’d regain. As something not important enough to really worry about. But it had been six weeks. And nothing. Nada. Zilch. He had tried. He knew a dozen ways of getting himself off and he never had hang ups about doing so. You didn’t become a monk just because there wasn’t a partner in your bed. He’d been single in between long enough to feel the need and take care of it. 

Jack stood and closed the curtains around Daniel’s bed, shutting out the camera. Then he was back. Daniel felt long fingers close over his, Jack’s thumb rubbing the back of his hand.

“Let me?” Jack asked, his voice barely above a whisper as his other hand gently settled on the injured arm and Daniel stiffened, expecting pain. But what he actually felt was a warm tingle. The drugs kept the pain at a bearable level, but Jack's touch still brought it down a notch or two.

“You’re getting good at this,” Daniel murmured.

“Not good enough,” Jack muttered. 

When he pulled his hand away and Daniel moved his arm carefully, it still hurt. But the pain seemed to be less deep. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.” There were Jack’s eyes, dark and deep. And Jack’s lips pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of Daniel’s mouth, just barely touching; a warm huff of coffee flavored breath, words whispered just before Jack pulled back. “Trust me.”

“I do,” Daniel sighed. “It’s not about trust.”

And it wasn't. Daniel wasn't afraid of Jack touching him. He wasn't disgusted or reluctant about Jack's hands on his body, or Jack kissing him. He liked it. He liked it a lot. Yet, his body seemed to be disconnected from his mind and not caring one way or the other. Not the way it used to care about Jack touching and kissing him. And that was the most fucked up feeling. Because even when they hadn't been together; even when they had denied each other the acknowledgment of their feelings – even then Daniel's body had reacted to Jack's touch. In little ways like a quickening of heartbeat, a warmth spreading over his skin, sometimes a stirring he had tried to ignore or fight down. 

And now it wasn't. No stirrings. No nothing.

“Then come home.”

Daniel opened his mouth, licking Jack’s taste from his lips, feeling the connection right there. God, he wanted to. But he had no idea if things would ever be normal between them. Like they used to be before the downsizing. Like he had envisioned them being again for a while before Ba’al had killed that part in him that wanted to drag Jack to bed and make love to him... 

The feelings were all there, the warmth inside, the longing... but his body wasn't keeping up. How this was possible, Daniel didn't know. He reached up and traced the outline of Jack’s face with a single finger. “I’ll think about it,” was all he could manage. 

Yet, it was more than he’d been able to imagine just a couple of hours ago. 

“No Pegasus,” Jack said.

“No Pegasus,” Daniel replied, defeated.

“Good enough. For now.” 

***

“We lowered the oxygen level as we tried with the orb organism six years ago. We tried cutting off any light source. It doesn’t work. Electrical charges showed no effect. Exposing it to sounds in high frequencies – no change. The growth has slowed down, but it's still growing. Wherever we cut off a limb, it grows a new one.” 

Jack stared at Carter, willing her to follow up with a ‘but I have another idea’. When she didn’t, he let his eyes wander to Bill Lee, who looked like a sad puppy. 

It was late, or early depending on how you looked at it, the power was still off and the briefing room dipped in semi darkness.

“Our attempts to communicate could work if someone was able to crack the code,” Bill pointed out, carefully. 

“I’m not going to risk another attack,” Jack ground out. He had established this particular point several times now. He wasn’t going to budge.

“But it’s intelligent. There has to be a way to talk to it,” Carter said thoughtfully.

“And then what? Tell it; sorry you’re destroying our base, we have to kill you, please don’t take offense?” Jack shook his head. “That’s gonna go over well. Not.”

“Maybe it just wants to know its seedling will be sent to the home planet,” Lee offered. “Maybe... maybe it’ll withdraw enough to give us back our power if we offer to do that.” 

“We still have to get rid of it,” Jack said. 

“Once it knows its seedling is safe, it might just... die. If it’s a monocarpic plant,” Carter said thoughtfully. “Dandelions, for example, shoot off their seeds and die.”

“But we don’t know that for sure, Carter.”

“It’s worth a try, sir. If Daniel is right, the plant attacked him based on you telling him he couldn’t go to the planet while carrying the seedling. That indicates it understands what we’re saying even though it can’t talk in the same way. If Daniel talked to it, convinced it we want to help... maybe it’ll listen.”

“Or the seedling just _sensed_ Doctor Jackson’s reaction to General O’Neill’s negative response about going to the planet because it was attached to him,” Lee cautioned. “We don’t know because it can’t talk without using us as a tool.”

Jack rubbed his burning eyes and checked his watch. 4:40 am. One more day to the president’s scheduled visit. “Too bad it can’t write text messages. It could use my phone,” he grumbled.

Carter looked up from the file she’d been reading in. “Sir...”

He blinked. “Carter?”

“I think I have...”

Bill Lee pursed his lips. “If we could get Audrey to tap her code into a computer...”

“Using a keyboard...”

He waved them off. “Go. Try. Impress me.”

When Carter and Lee had left Jack went to make a phone call, then dragged his tired body to Gilmore’s office. The man was working on paperwork. He looked a lot better than Jack felt, but then Gilmore had had a couple hours of sleep while Jack had not. To be fair Jack had to give Gilmore credit for being up and trying to give his moral support at this hour of the day, night, whatever. 

“Reynolds is taking over for me. I’m gonna get some shut eye. Gimme a wake up call at 06:30. Or earlier if there’s news on the plant business,” Two hours. Two hours of quality sleep was all he was asking for. 

“Will do, sir,” Gilmore said smoothly. “John Gilham, the president’s aide, wants to see you at 08:00. He might want to cancel the president’s visit.”

“Give it one more day,” Jack said. 

“Sir, are you saying you think you’ll solve the situation in just one more day?” Gilmore looked doubtful. “We have no power and can’t dial out, the base is over run by an alien plant and we have to do something about the Amorans...” 

“A lot can happen around here in a day, Gilmore.” 

“But, sir...”

Jack gave the man a departing wave and hoped his optimism had come across less faked than it felt at the moment.

He reached the personnel’s base quarters and took a detour to check on Daniel and the dog before turning in for his well deserved two hour nap. When Jack entered Daniel’s quarters, Flyboy raised his head, yawned and went back to dreamland. Jack was met by a very familiar sight – even though it hadn’t happened since the downsizing because usually Jack kept a close eye on Daniel’s work hours. 

Well, someone must have sent him to bed because otherwise he’d be in his office instead of his quarters. He’d even undressed and was in his sleep shirt and shorts, which made things easier.

Surrounded by books like “The Historical, Political and Diplomatic Writings Vol 2”, “The Craft of Political Analysis for Diplomats” and other weighty tomes, Daniel was sitting at his desk, toppled over, his cheek resting on a thick folder containing rules and regulations about Earth treaties with other worlds. Balled up and thrown away paper sheets were scattered all over the desk. Under Daniel’s left hand Jack could see a file folder, neatly labeled in the kid’s handwriting as “Amora Plan B”.

Shaking his head, Jack vowed to not let this become a habit. As soon as this crazy plant crisis was solved he’d make more time for Daniel and get things back to a normal schedule again.

 _Don’t kid yourself_ , he thought as soon as he'd made that vow. O _nce the plant thing is over there’s going to be another disaster. It’s always been that way and it’s not gonna change just because you took over. Stubborn Russians, whining IOA, AWOL teams, S and R missions, injuries and casualties, aliens trying to take over the world, Asgard asking for assistance, Tok’ra messing with us... it’s one thing chasing the other..._

And as Daniel had so rightfully pointed out; Jack was ‘the man’ now. He couldn’t just leave and go home. There was a reason Hammond had always been here. While SG-1 had fought the battle of keeping the world safe on the first front, Hammond had kept things together from his desk. Had built bridges over troubled water and ridden out any fall outs of missions gone awry. 

Jack had stepped back from leading SG-1 last year – exceptions notwithstanding – to have more time for his kid. Had felt it was time to stop putting everything on the back burner for the job. 

And here he was, trapped in the very same hamster wheel he’d tried to get away from. Worse, even; being on SG-1 and going off world had been something he loved doing. Despite the gate lag, the danger, the risks – he had loved it. Had been good at it, too. 

Flying the desk and swimming with the big sharks was giving him headaches and eye tics. 

What the heck had he been thinking? 

Jack gently removed Daniel’s glasses from the tip of his nose, folded them and put them aside. Then he lifted the boy out of the chair and carried him over to the bed where the dog was snoozing peacefully. 

Daniel stirred and opened bleary eyes when Jack pulled the covers over him. 

“’m going to bed now, ‘kay?”

“Good idea, buddy.” But Daniel was already out like light again, snuggling into the pillow. Jack smoothed down the tousled blond hair, wondering what the kid had been working on. He peered at the ‘Amora Plan B’ file folder, tempted to pick it up and take a look, but decided that right now, he needed the sleep more. If Daniel had found a way to defuse the situation and make the thick heads listen Jack would hear about it in the morning. 

He went to bed in his own quarters next door and was lying awake as the first sentences of a letter formed in his head. Finally, after an hour of restless tossing and turning, he got dressed again and went back to his quiet office where he sat down at his desk and opened the laptop.

_Dear General Hammond._

_Wish you were here, and that I was – not._

_Seriously, how did you do it? Dealing with politics, off world trouble and – me? I knew it wasn't easy for you. But had I known what it was really like, I would have tried to be less of a pain in the ass. At least I would have tried harder..._

 

**V**

“The delegates from Amora are furious. They're demanding they be released and say there's no chance that a trade agreement will ever happen between our governments now,” Gilmore reported when Jack slugged down a cup of coffee. 

It was 06:45.

“Did they try the doughnuts? You made sure they were Krispy Kremes right?”

Gilmore ignored that. “Shall I release them and send them home, sir?”

“Not yet.”

“But, sir, I...”

“What's next?” Jack put the empty coffee mug on his desk. “Any news on the plant side?”

Gilmore looked at his organizer. “Actually, Colonel Carter wants to see you right away. Also, General Chekov called several times, demanding to talk to you.”

Jack nodded. “Let him know I’m happy to call him back if he insists, but nothing’s changed.”

“Yes, sir.”

Unimpressed by Gilmore’s martyr face Jack closed his laptop and hurried down to the plant infected bio labs where Doctor Lee greeted him with barely suppressed excitement the way only a scientist was capable off in the face of their current situation. 

“We made very good progress, sir! Audrey is using a laptop now. It took her some time to learn, but she’s getting there. We don’t know, exactly, what she’s trying to say, yet. But Doctor Jackson and Colonel Carter are working on that.”

“One more day, Seymour.” Jack held up one finger. “Any Plan Bs?”

“Well, we could use gamma radiation on the plant. That’s one thing we haven’t tried. Of course, we have no idea, at this point, how high a dose of radiation would be needed and we’d have to evacuate all unnecessary personnel from this section...” 

Jack stared at him to make sure Lee wasn’t – by any chance – joking. “Let’s try chatting first,” he said finally. 

Gamma radiation? Right.

Carter and Jackson were bent over a laptop, discussing something on the screen. Audrey II's leafy branches embraced the laptop as other leafy branches were pressing keys.

It was writing.

Jack had seen lots of things he hadn’t thought possible over the years, so he wasn’t shocked to the core by a plant working on a computer. Yet, it gave him the creeps. He was itching to tell the science twins to be careful. Not to get too close to it. 

He sidled up to Jackson. “Why aren’t you in the infirmary? Shouldn’t you lie down or something?”

Jackson didn’t take his eyes off the screen. “It’s my shoulder, Jack, not my leg.”

“Not the point.”

Now he looked up and smiled. “Janet let me go because it’s healing so nicely.”

Ah. Jack hadn’t been sure how much good his healing energy had done. Apparently it had worked better than he expected. Well, at least he was good for something. Maybe he should consider a change of career and become one of those doctors who claimed to heal by laying their hands on people. 

“Sir, we got it to type. Now we just have to make sense of what it’s typing,” Carter said, gesturing at the screen.

Jack saw blocks of letters and numbers in random order. No code he had ever encountered. 

“The numbers make no sense at all,” Carter said, frustration lacing her voice. 

“But it’s repeating the same blocks over and over again,” Jackson muttered. “It has to mean something.” He traced the screen with a finger, murmuring, “2o2t-1c2o1t1c1h-1p1a2l1i-2c2a1b.”

“Some formula?” Jack guessed.

“No no no, I think it’s trying to actually spell words, but it can’t do it the way we do.”

“Maybe we have to go at this more literally,” Carter suggested and called over to Lee to hand her a notepad and a pen. When he complied, she began scribbling. “OOTT-COOTCH-PALLI-CCAAB.” She showed the notepad to Jackson. “Does that mean anything to you?”

“Maybe it’s Mayan,” Jack suggested, feeling very much not-useful. 

But Jackson frowned and said, “Ye-ah, maybe it is. Maybe... OOTT... if we move it around a bit, it means otot... home. COOTCH...” He tapped the pen against his lips.. “COOTCH... cotoch; our house... homeland.”

“Okay, what’s PALLI-CCAAB?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know. It wants to go home. That’s what the seedling wanted, too. The seedling... Palil. Palil means child. The last word could be cacab. That’s settlement, or belonging.” Jackson looked up, a triumphant gleam in his blue eyes. “It wants the seedling to go home where it belongs.”

Jackson stepped away from the laptop and reached out his right hand, touching the glossy leaves.

“DANIEL!” Jack barked. 

“It’s okay. I think it knows we are trying to help now.” 

Audrey’s branches shot forward and started to curl around Jackson’s arm, then pulled away. “Otot,” he said, “Palil cacab otot.” 

But Audrey had second thoughts. She reached out again, then pulled back. One of her branches tapped the arm in the sling.

“She doesn’t want to use him because he’s hurt,” Carter said in wonder. “She knows he’s in pain. Sir, she’s empathic.” The branches closest to her trembled. A tendril with airborne roots extended and wrapped around her wrist. Carter let out a surprised, “Ow!” as the tiny root tips shot into her skin.

Jack was SO going to fire her. 

With a low clack the emergency lights went out and a moment later the bio lab had its power back. The wall phone was ringing. Jack grabbed the receiver and barked into it, ordering Fraiser and the Atlantis botanist down here. Walter acknowledged and then said, “Sir, the dialing computer is going online.”

Jack’s head whipped back to Carter and Jackson, who were both yelling, “Dial the gate to P6J-908!”

“Strike first order and dial P6J-908,” he said with resignation. What else was there to do? If this didn’t work... “Colonel Carter is going through. Get Teal’c into the gate room, he’s going with her!”

“Jack! Sam might need me to translate...”

“You’re not going. You’re shot.”

“I know! You shot me. That’s not important right now. The plants talk Mayan and if they are trying to give Sam directions, she needs me.” 

They glared at each other across the lab in a silent battle of _‘You’re staying – I’m not – Yes, you are – No, I’m not‘_. Finally Jack cursed under his breath and shooed them off. 

“Wonderful,” Bill Lee sighed. “A family reunion.”

Jack wanted a wall to bang his head on. He'd better finish his letter to Hammond.

***

Either the plant had put a much stronger seedling into Sam or it was growing so fast because it fed better on females. Or maybe it was because Sam always talked to her plants and just had a green thumb. 

By the time they reached the gate room and the wormhole opened, Sam was sporting four leaves on a small stem growing out of her wrist. 

Teal’c was waiting for them by the ramp. How he had been able to gear up this fast was beyond Daniel, but there he was; wearing a tac vest over his black t-shirt and carrying his staff. 

As they went through the gate Daniel's injured arm pounded, not happy with his run down the corridors, but it was bearable. 

The humid warmth of the jungle engulfed them as soon as they exited on the other side. The seemingly endless stretch of plants was a like a rolling wave of green and Daniel thought he saw hundreds of branches and leaves reaching for them, beckoning them to come closer.

“It’s a living, intelligent organism. It probably has a collective mind,” Sam said beside him. “I wonder why we didn’t realize that on our first visit.”

“We were focused on the cave,” Teal’c said. 

Sam’s plant stretched and curled as though it was trying to get closer to its big relatives. She touched the leaves with the fingertips of her other hand and crooned. “Shhh... we’re almost there.”

Daniel watched her and suddenly wondered how things were going with Pete and if she’d ever thought about having kids. But his attention was soon occupied with something else. 

“How do we get it out of you and into the soil,” he asked as they walked into the jungle. He cradled his bad arm with his good hand. The pain had subsided to a dull throb now that they were taking it more slowly. Boy, Janet was going to have his hide. She had released him under the condition that he avoided sudden movements and held the arm still. The sling kept it immobilized, but running down corridors and going off world surely wasn't her idea of light duty.

Well, he should probably be grateful since Jack's magic hands had sped up the healing process enough for him to be able to escape the infirmary at all. 

“Let's hope it’ll move out of me and root itself once its found the right spot.” Sam took lead down a path of dark soft soil. Whenever they reached a crossing path the Mayan plants stretched their branches to reach her, touching her back and hair. They were trying to steer her in the right direction. 

There was also the noise; a rushing of leaves that seemed to form words.

_Otot palil cacab otot palil cacab otot..._

“Do you hear that?” Sam asked

“The child has returned to the homeland.” Daniel translated for the others.

The plant at the SGC hadn’t been able to make sounds like this, but apparently as a collective it could. 

“Is the seedling communicating with you also, ColonelCarter?” Teal’c asked, keeping his voice low.

“I can hear it mumbling in my mind, but I think it’s calling out to its family, to let them know we are here to help.”

Daniel wouldn’t have been able to tell from where exactly they had taken the seedling, but he was positive that was exactly where they were headed. They hiked for another twenty minutes, then Sam stopped and held out her left hand. The seedling stretched and curled its leaves, its fragile stem trembling. 

For a moment nothing happened and Daniel realized he was holding his breath. He let it out with a low gasp when one of the large plants bent forward. Long green tendrils of aerial roots wrapped tenderly around the seedling, pulling at it.

Teal’c raised his staff, his finger hovering over the trigger.

Fascinated, they watched as the baby plant left Sam’s wrist. Its aunt – or foster mother – placed it at the bottom of her own stem. They could actually see how the baby settled into the loose soil and then attached itself to the big plant with its leaves. Like it was seeking physical contact. Like a small child craved hugs. 

Teal’c lowered his weapon

“It’s safe now,” Sam whispered. “It’s home.” She turned to Daniel with bright eyes. “They are so happy to have it.”

“Yeah.” Daniel looked at her with what must have been a sappy smile. “I can feel it, too.”

“As can I,” Teal’c said in a very soft voice. 

With a last glance at their little foundling they started on their way back to the gate.

“I always knew it’s good to talk to my plants,” Sam said after a while. She shook her head and grinned a little sheepishly. “I know it’s weird. I’m a scientist. And unlike you I’m not open to myths and legends or supernatural powers. I like explanations and reasonable, traceable reactions. But plants are life forms and it’s not weird to talk to them. This,” she waved at the jungle at large, “is amazing.” 

“Yeah, it is,” Daniel agreed.

They had been walking for a while when Sam suddenly said, “Pete asked me to marry him.” 

Daniel opened his mouth to congratulate her. Or to ask her how she felt about it, but she continued without waiting for his reply. 

“I was scared. I didn’t think I was ready to take a leap like that. I mean, just imagine what ‘marry me’ implies? Buying a house, being together for the rest of your lives, having kids or at least a dog.”

 _Funny_ , Daniel thought, _I could have all these things without the wedding. Jack has the house, the kid and the dog._

All he had to do was join them, be with them.

“I couldn’t imagine that kind of commitment, especially considering our line of work,” Sam finished.

“Something changed your mind,” Teal’c stated. 

“It’s...” She stopped walking and gazed at her left hand, brushing the thumb of her right over the spot where the seedling had been. There was no blood, no swelling, not even a bruise. “It’s this connection. The plants have it. You and the... Jack... have it.”

“Me and Jack?”

“Oh, yes. I always wondered... before the downsizing... what it was with the two of you. Right from the start when I first saw you together on Abydos I felt this connection. There’s something between you, like chemistry. I have no rational explanation for it. It’s just there. The two of you clicked on a level none of us can reach. It’s always there. No matter how much you argue or fight. When you finally got together Teal’c and I just knew. Whatever was there before had deepened in a way we couldn’t comprehend.”

“You are Mek’kalash. Joined souls,” Teal’c said.

Daniel gave them a crooked grin. “And we thought we were so clever and careful.”

“You were extremely careful, DanielJackson.”

“But it was like electric sparks everywhere around you. Even the way you bitched at each other was kind of different,” Sam said with a knowing smile.

“Indeed.” 

Daniel had never considered how he and Jack might be seen by the other half of the team. Had never thought it showed that much. Yes, he had been aware they knew somehow. But if Sam and Teal’c had noticed just based on body language and flying sparks – who else had? Then again, no one knew him and Jack better than Sam and Teal’c. After all they were an extended branch of that connection. 

“After the downsizing it was so hard to see you struggle and try to find a balance. But even then. Even when it seemed General O’Neill was at his wits end and you... little you... was hanging on to sanity with your fingertips. Even then the connection was there. And now the three of you...” She trailed off and gave him a questioning look. “Actually, what exactly...?”

He felt his chest tighten with pain and had to clear his throat. “What exactly...?” He shook his head. “Honestly, at this point... I don’t know.”

Weren’t they talking about Sam and Pete?

She flushed a slight pink. “Ah, I’m sorry. I thought you were... Now that Daniel decided to stay little...”

“It’s complicated,” Daniel said.

But was it really?

_We’re stronger than anything Ba’al could ever do to us._

_When are you going to come home..._

“I’m sorry, Daniel, I didn’t mean to...” 

“No no, it's okay. We just... there’s a lot going on since we got home.” He forced himself to walk on and the others followed. In the somewhat awkward silence he asked, “So, you and Pete...?” 

“YES! What I was going to say is, that for the first time in my life... since I met Pete and we got together... I finally know what it might be like. This connection. And now these plants and the way they care for each other, how they love each other, made me realize that I don’t want to lose that connection again. Not ever. So, yes, I think I might be ready for the next big step.” 

“Pete Shanahan seems a good choice for a mate. Congratulations, Samantha,” Teal’c said, bowing his head. 

“Sam, that’s great! And yes, keep a hold on it. Don’t ever let it go.” Daniel was happy for her. For them. And as they walked on, he could hear an echo of LD’s voice again.

_We’re stronger than anything Ba’al could ever do to us._

In the back of Daniel’s mind Ba’al reared his ugly head and laughed mockingly.

 _Shut up_ , Daniel thought coldly, _you’re dead. Keep rotting in hell._

***

_...I don’t belong in this chair if I can’t give myself 100 % to the job that’s been given to me. It’s not that I’m afraid of having to deal with politics and the higher ups in DC. Hate it, yes. Scared of it, no. But it requires a lot of Tylenol (for the headaches) and time. Time I should spend differently. My priorities have changed somewhat and I believe I have to take care of some personal stuff in my life ASAP._

_And so, I regretfully submit my resignation. And to be clear, the regret is not so much about the resigning part, but the fact that I was deluded enough to think I had possessed even one iota of the ability needed to fill your sizable and shiny shoes..._

The phone rang.

Jack reached for it, his eyes not leaving his laptop where the words seemed to be carved into the screen in hard black letters on the white background. If this was Chekov again Jack would tell him where exactly he could stick his whining about Vaselov’s complaints. He wished one of the Daniels were here to give him some extended lesson in Russian swear words. But Jackson was still on plant-planet and the kid was trying to talk to the Amoran brats again. 

“O’Neill,” he barked.

“This is Woolsey,” the voice of doom answered. “It has come to our attention that you are holding two representatives of an allied world as hostages, General. The IOA expects an explanation.”

“And who might have told you that?” Jack asked smoothly.

“We were informed by Mister Gilmore, who was instructed to report to us. General, I must warn you. If the Amorans insist on stepping away from our trade agreement due to the way you are treating them, there will be consequences.”

“Mister Woolsey, if you feel compelled to come out here and try your hand at negotiating with them, be my guest. They have sabotaged any coherent attempt at negotiation from the start. There was zero cooperation. My two best diplomats and Major Davis were trying to talk sense into them, but there was no point. I merely gave them a chance to calm down and think things over.”

On the other end of the line, Woolsey took a deep breath. “By locking them into the same room and feeding them donuts?”

“Hey, we are trying to make our guests comfortable,” Jack said. “And I'd let them go, but we had a power failure until an hour ago. The dialing computer was down and so the Amorans had to stay a little while longer anyway. We are still trying to get negotiations going now.”

“What caused the power failure? Oh, let me guess. The overgrowing plant trying to take over Stargate Command? That was my next question. Will the security of the president be compromised by that plant?” Woolsey didn’t sound like he wanted to hear plant-jokes or listen to an explanation about plants writing Mayan text messages.

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. “Listen...”

His office door burst open and Little Daniel dashed in without knocking, followed by Doctor Lee and Gilmore. 

“Jack! The Amorans...”

“General, the plant has...”

“Doctor Lee just told me...”

“...to continue talking like adults...”

“...like Audrey knows her baby is safe ...”

“...eradicate and is now...”

Jack placed a hand over the receiver of his phone. “I’m on the phone. Gilmore – it’s your dear friend, Mister Woolsey.” 

Gilmore had the decency to blush. “Yes, sir, sorry... you can tell him the plant problem is solved.”

When Lee and the kid started talking again, Jack put a finger to his lips and shook his head. To Woolsey he said, “The plant problem is solved. There’s no reason why the president shouldn’t pay us a visit as scheduled.” Then he pointed at LD. “You were saying?”

“The Amorans have calmed down and are ready to resume negotiations. Major Davis is with them, waiting for your word to release them. They express their gratitude for us putting up with them and apologize. They also insist on including donuts into the trade agreement with Earth. We should make a deal with Krispy Kreme for huge deliveries.” Daniel beamed at him and Jack returned the smile briefly before passing on the good news to Woolsey. That done, he extended his hand holding the phone to Gilmore. “He wants to talk to you.” 

Gilmore’s talk to Woolsey was brief and consisted mostly of, “Yes, we fixed it. No, there’s no danger. Yes, the Amorans are under control as well and cooperating. General O’Neill’s assessment of the situation was spot on and Doctor Jackson’s nephew made them see reason. I’m going to file a full report to the IOA.” He hung up and clasped his hands behind his back. “If you will excuse me, General, I still have paperwork to finish. And write my report.” 

Jack waved him away.

Bill Lee dabbed his forehead with a blue and red checkered kerchief. “General, Audrey II receded from the ventilation system. She is shedding leaves all over the lab.” The man looked stricken with grief and Jack felt actually sorry for him. “She’s dying, sir.”

Daniel patted Bill’s arm a little awkwardly. “I’m sorry, Bill.”

“Oh, it’s all right, Daniel. She has to go. But she could have been such an enrichment. Imagine; a talking, intelligent plant!” 

Jack failed to see how a talking plant could be an enrichment. The hope of solving world hunger wasn’t an option anymore. Who wanted to eat a talking plant? But he didn’t say it out loud. Scientists often had their own view on things and Jack wasn’t up for a philosophical discussion about plants, not even intelligent plants.

“Good ole Audrey,” he said, hoping it sounded comforting rather than sarcastic. “She sure was a sight for sore eyes.” 

“Thank you, sir. I’ll be...” Lee stuffed the kerchief into the pocket of his lap coat. “I’ll be in the lab, supervising Audrey’s proper disposal.”

“You do that, Bill.” 

Lee closed the door behind him and Jack buried his head in his hands, moaning, “For cryin’ out loud...”

“He really really liked that plant,” Daniel pointed out, always the compassionate one.

Jack opted for changing the subject. Straightening up he gave Daniel a curious look. “Sooo... the Amorans?”

Daniel’s face split into a grin. “They loved the donuts!”

“Good call, eh?”

“Yes.” 

“What’d you do?”

“Who? Me?” There was a flutter of eyelashes and the all-innocent look. 

“Yes, you. How did you get them to listen?” 

“Welll... they were actually already talking calmly when I went to see them earlier. But they weren’t happy about being locked into the VIP quarters and wanted to file a complaint about you. I told them about a very old, tried and true strategy in diplomacy that forces the opposite parties to take notice of one another and start talking. By putting them into the same room without anywhere to go and no distraction they were bound to focus on the problem. Their minds would slowly come to terms with the fact that they had to reach a joined goal – regaining freedom by working together and cooperating.” 

Jack’s eyebrows climbed upwards. “There’s no diplomacy strategy like that, is there?”

Daniel shrugged. “Nope. I made it up. But it sounds good. At least _they_ didn’t have to do slave labor like Al, Bryan and me. They even got donuts.” 

Jack took that little side blow with ease. “They bought it?” 

“Yes, they did. They agreed it was a very creative approach.”

Jack gazed at the blinking cursor on his laptop. “It was a good idea you had there, Daniel. Probably saved my six on the political front.” 

“Isn’t that what we do? Just because you’re ‘the man’ now doesn’t mean you lost your team,” Daniel said with a genuine smile.

Jack wanted to hug him. Instead he asked, “You think the donuts helped though?”

The kid smirked. “I’d say so, yeah.”

Jack sent him off to free the Amorans from their enforced time out. He re-read his letter to Hammond and tried to imagine whom they’d send to replace him. Rubbing a hand over his aching temple he wondered if Daniel could be happy elsewhere if the new head honcho of the SGC decided there was no place for him here. All the bets where off on whether stepping down was a good idea or not. 

Especially now that Jack had made the first round 1:0 for himself. 

Walter knocked and stuck his head in. “Doctor Jackson, Teal’c and Colonel Carter are coming through, sir.”

“Well, it’s about time.” Sending his laptop to sleep, Jack hurried out to welcome them home.

  
  


**VI**

Little Daniel adjusted his tie and loosened the collar of his white shirt. He glanced at his watch and suppressed a sigh. The dress shoes were uncomfortable and he kept pulling at the sleeves of his navy-blue jacket. Apparently he had grown a few inches. His one and only good suit seemed slightly too short since the last time he had to wear it. And in all the hustle and bustle no one had thought to check if he needed a new one. 

Not that it showed much. And not that he cared for a new suit. 

President Hayes stepped from the podium they had set up in the gate room and walked down the red carpet flanked by his bodyguards to stand by his aide, Jack and Paul Davis. Daniel clapped his hands with everyone else, applauding enthusiastically, as his eyes wandered to the Atlantis Expedition Team gathered to the left side of the gate.

Doctor Weir was playing with her glass - there had been a toast to the expedition earlier – and talking to Major Shepherd. Doctor MacKay's ego had grown several inches during the president's speech – if that was even possible - and was now immersed in conversation with the Czech guy, Zelenka. Daniel didn’t know the other members of the team very well. There was Doctor Brown, the botanist, and Doctor Beckett who had the Ancient gene, but wasn’t very happy about it. He was Altantis’ new CMO. Daniel wondered if Atlantis would connect to Shepherd and Beckett the same way it had to Jack. He was torn between being excited for them and just a little bit sad that he couldn’t join them. 

But he'd had his time in the City of the Ancients. And if he was honest with himself, he had to admit that he was too glad to be home again to be really mourning the fact he couldn’t go back. Maybe at a later point... who knew? 

The president had used the universal language of hope like ‘a new era is dawning for mankind as we go out to discover new galaxies’ when he had talked about the Atlantis mission. The whole part of the speech regarding Altantis had sounded a bit like ‘ _Space - the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.’_ But it had been nice nevertheless. 

Daniel had also liked the part about SG-1 ‘saving the world, the galaxy, maybe the whole universe by ridding us of the Goa’uld and the Replicators and encountering Atlantis as the first human beings ever since the Ancients built it’. The whole SGC personnel had applauded and even cheered. It had been embarrassing, but also very flattering. 

President Hayes and his delegation left the gate room followed by Mister Woolsey, Jack and Paul for a tour of the SGC and a private chat in one of the meeting rooms before dinner.

“Shooo, the official part is over for now. Let’s raid the buffet, shall we?” Sam put a hand on his back and steered him towards the doors. The presidential dinner would take place later, but there was a small buffet with cake and snacks set up at the briefing room for the personnel and officers who wouldn’t attend dinner. 

Daniel and Sam made their way across the gate room, passing groups of talking people. In a couple of hours the equipment for the Atlantis expedition would be brought in and the countdown for their departure started. But until then Jack had announced it was ‘hair down’ time. Only the SF were at their posts, guarding the gate room. 

They met Teal’c and BD standing close to the exit. Colonel Vaselov and Mister Gilmore were with them. Vaselov sipped his sparkling wine and Daniel caught him saying, “...did not realize how intense off world training is. I must say, I am glad I joined the training program now. Especially the simulated missions at the Beta Site are very challenging.”

Teal’c replied, “You have been trained extremely well by your military, ColonelVaselov. You will absorb the SGC training program quickly and be allowed to join a team.” 

Vaselov smiled, apparently pleased, and with a nod at Daniel and a smart, “Colonel Carter,” to Sam he turned to join a group of recruits – probably his training unit – who were just leaving the gate room. 

“He’s come around,” Daniel whispered, amazed. “After just one day of training?”

“Teal’c put him through the hardest hand-to-hand and staff combat on the alien environment survival course at the Beta Site. In other words he kicked his ass, good. Like the excellent drill Sergeant he is,” BD said with a straight face. 

“I did not give ColonelVaselov favorable treatment,” Teal’c said. 

“Exactly. He loves you for it. He even told Jack so this morning”

Daniel snorted. “He told Jack he loves Teal’c?”

“I must disappoint ColonelVaselov’s hopes of proposing to me. I am not interested in men,” Teal’c said with dignity, but mirth in his dark eyes. 

“Well, his exact words were; ‘I must say I have over 20 years of flight experience. I recorded over 3,000 hours in 30 different aircraft or their prototypes. I am prepared for any kind of battle. Yet, you were right, General, I was not ready to go through the gate. But I will be with Teal’c’s excellent training.’” BD quoted with the matching Russian accent as he raised his glass of bubbly. 

“That means Colonel Chekov stopped calling to teach Jack new ways of insulting people in Russian,” Daniel said happily, clinking his own glass of orange juice against BD’s.

The survival course on the Beta Site had been designed and built by Teal’c and a team of Marines last year. It combined several alien habitats such as a Chulakian swamp that gave you a nasty itchy rash if you fell in it, a forest area with fast growing ivy that tried to wrap around your body parts to capture you, and other environments one wouldn't encounter on Earth. The general training program included simulations of Rheetou attacks, learning to think and fight like a Jaffa or a Goa’uld, and other useful things soldiers didn’t learn at the academy or out in the field Earth side. Daniel thought Teal’c’s program was preparing new SG teams a lot better for what was out there and it would have been great to have something like that seven or so years ago when they had started to explore the galaxy. Boy, they had been so unprepared for some of the things they encountered. 

“Guys, we’re going to have some cake. You want to join us?” Sam asked when more people started vacating the gate room to move to the briefing room.

“Don’t eat too much cake or you won’t be able to stuff yourself with all the goodies at the president's dinner,” Daniel reminded her when they were standing in line for the buffet a moment later.

“Oh, I won’t be able to stuff myself anyway. I hate these official brass events,” Sam groused. “Everyone’s uncomfortable and worrying about dropping food on their dress blues or suits. Worst case scenario is ending up with a piece of spinach sticking in your teeth when you smile at the president.”

“You worry about things like that? After so many years of wearing dress blues to all kinds of shindigs?” Daniel had to laugh. 

“Well, yeah. but this is a presidential dinner. I've never attended one of those yet. And, oh my god, I have to change from my dress blues into my Mess dress. That makes it worse, actually,” Sam moaned. Then she grinned. “Besides, what about you? You keep squirming in that suit like you’ve never worn one before.” 

“Oh, I always hated wearing suits,” both Daniels said with feelings. 

“But you look gorgeous when you’re wearing them.” Sam laughed as she linked arms with BD and put her other arm around Daniel’s shoulder. With a look of appreciation at Teal’c in his gray cashmere Baroni suit, she added. “So do you, Teal’c.” 

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” BD said. “And you’ll look great in your Mess Dress and with spinach sticking in your teeth.” 

“Now you jinxed it, I’m sure,” Sam sighed.

“If there is spinach on the menu I suggest you do not eat it,” Teal’c said dryly as he helped himself to a huge slab of chocolate cake. 

“Don’t worry. There’s no spinach. Isn’t there a way for us to skip that dinner?” Daniel asked, keeping his voice low. He really wasn't looking forward to it anymore than Sam. 

“Nope, no way.” BD handed him a mug of coffee after getting one for himself.

“Well, you could excuse yourself by saying you need a nap, I guess,” Sam suggested. “After all, you’re a kid. Kids get away with stuff like that.” 

Daniel glared at her. “Over my dead body. What am I? Five?” He didn’t like going to that dinner, but he disliked losing his dignity more. He frowned. “You could say I’m sick. I have a major headache. Migraine.” 

“There’s no escape from this, not even if you’re dead. We all have to attend. It was President Hayes express wish that SG-1 will join him for dinner. I think he wants to hear everything about Atlantis,” BD said. 

Well, there were worse tasks than talking about Atlantis, Daniel decided. 

“Is it not an honor to dine with the president of your country?” Teal’c asked and Daniel was sure he was pulling their legs. Then again, maybe not.

“It is,” Sam said. “And I feel very honored. It’s just very formal.”

“When Apophis was in the mood to hold a feast, it was an orgy with many women and much wine,” Teal’c said. “All his serpent guards were welcome to celebrate and have the wine and women. However, if a Jaffa touched a woman Apophis had chosen for himself, he was killed on the spot.” 

BD coughed and sipped his coffee. “Formal is fine, I guess.”

After cake and coffee Sam was kidnapped by Janet and the two women went off to talk to Doctor Brown and Doctor Beckett. Daniel, BD and Teal’c joined Doctor Weir and Major Shepherd. 

Doctor Weir’s face lit up when she spotted them. “Doctor Jackson!”

Or maybe not ‘them’ but BD.

“Doctor Weir.” 

“We were just wondering if you could still be convinced to join us.”

BD smiled apologetically. “You’re going to leave in less than,” he checked his watch, “seven hours. All the personnel formalities have been taken care of and your equipment is ready and waiting to go. Then there’s this.” He glanced at his arm in the sling. “For me that boat has sailed.” 

She gave him a little smile in return. “I’m sure Doctor Beckett can talk Doctor Fraiser into letting you go.”

”Ah, no. Actually, that’s not the issue.” 

Daniel looked from Weir to BD like he was watching a ping-pong match. What were they talking about? “You can’t leave,” he blurted, then bit his lip and blushed and addressed Doctor Weir. “I mean... he just said it. He’s not on the list. It’s too late now.” 

Shepherd shrugged. “And he’s already been there. Make way for the inexperienced new guys.” He grimaced. “I’m still not sure what I signed up for here. Just because I can make some lights glow on a chair and play with squid drones...” 

“The Ancient gene is a gift,” Daniel interrupted bluntly. “You can do a lot more once you’re there. Haven’t you paid attention in any of the briefings?”

“Yeah, yeah, I have. And I’m looking forward to exploring the city and all that. What I’m not sure of is if I want to hop through that thing out there.” Shepherd pointed at the gate they could see through the briefing room window. “That whole wormhole physic stuff MacKay and Colonel Carter were trying to explain to us is kinda creepy.” 

Weir waved at BD, Daniel and Teal’c. “They've been going through the gate for years and it never swallowed them.” 

Teal’c raised an eyebrow. “Only once.”

Shepherd groaned. “I don’t even want to know what that means.”

“It was a very unpleasant experience.” 

“And we blew up the Russian DHD when we got Teal’c back,” Daniel shared.

“Now, see, that’s definitely TMI. I don’t like unpleasant. And I‘d rather not mess with the Russians or their toys,” Shepherd grumbled and stalked off.

“Don’t mind him,” Doctor Weir said with a shrug. “He is happy to go. But he’s had a run in with our assigned military commander Colonel Sumner. Sumner isn’t happy because he’s only 2IC. He doesn’t like Atlantis being in civilian hands. He also doesn’t seem to see eye to eye with Major Shepherd. I think they are going to butt heads quite a lot in the foreseeable future.” She didn’t seem to be too worried about that, though. She took a sip of her sparkling wine and sighed. “I’m sorry you won’t be with us, Doctor Jackson. It would have been a pleasure to work with you.” 

“And with you, I’m sure. But there’s a lot of work for me, here.” 

“General O’Neill said as much. He thinks very highly of you,” she said with something like regret in her voice.

Daniel tugged at BD’s jacket sleeve. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

They excused themselves and entered Jack’s deserted office. 

“First Jack, now Shepherd. Any idea why the Ancient gene keeps showing up in people who don’t appreciate it?” BD muttered, rolling his eyes. “And then there’s Beckett. He’s a nice guy, but he’s scared of it.”

Daniel banged the door shut and ignored his big version’s complaining. Crossing his arms over his chest he straightened up to his full 4 feet and a couple inches of height. “You weren’t seriously thinking of leaving, were you?” he huffed.

***

Daniel didn’t even try to talk himself out of that one. Swallowing the smile that threatened to show at the sight of LD’s indignation, he admitted quietly, “I was.” 

“Was. As in; you considered it, but now you’re not?” 

“No. Now I’m not. I’m not leaving.”

LD’s piercing glare lingered for another moment, then he lowered his arms and relaxed visibly. “Okay. But... why were you thinking of leaving us?”

Not; why were you thinking of leaving Jack, or just; why were you thinking of leaving, but; why are you leaving _us_. 

_I was going to run away_ , Daniel thought with sudden clarity. He had tried to convince himself he had just considered leaving because he needed time to get over what Ba’al had done. What he had LET Ba'al do to him. But in reality he had been thinking of avoiding all the fall out by going back to Atlantis and...

Leaving them. 

There was no need to think about his missing libido on Atlantis. No need to question his capability of sex in what was supposed to be the relationship he was finally allowed to have. On Atlantis he'd be able to focus on his work and all the socializing he was supposed to do would be with colleagues - maybe friends - not lovers. He'd be content with that eventually. 

Content, yes. But after all they'd done, after all they had been through... it wasn't enough anymore. He wanted more. _Needed_ more than contentment. He had the damn _right_ to want more than that.

Even if it meant dealing with the lack of sexuality. To trust Jack when he said it would be enough, even though it really wasn't. Daniel had to find a way to get his libido back.

So trying to run away wasn't an option. 

Daniel walked around the desk on legs that were suddenly a bit wobbly, and slumped into Hammond’s former and Jack’s now-chair. 

“I don’t know,” he said to LD, trying to smile and failing miserably. “It was just an idea.” 

“A very bad idea,” the boy said firmly.

“Ye-ah.” 

Suddenly little-him was by Daniel’s side, wrapping his arms around his neck and whispering into his ear. “Don’t let the bastard win. Don’t let him have that kind of power over you.”

Daniel didn’t know what to say. So he said nothing and just hugged the kid back with his good arm. When LD pulled away after a moment _,_ they shared a knowing look. A silent understanding as it could only happen between friends who had been in a very dark place together. And while LD - thank God – didn’t share the memory of what Ba’al and Daniel had done in that pompous bedchamber, he had been in his own dark place created by the Goa’uld. 

They all had. 

And none of them could run from it. 

“Heart, brain and courage, remember?” LD said softly before he quietly left the office.

Daniel put his elbow on Jack’s desk and rested his chin on his hand, staring at the closed door, wondering if heart, brain and courage would be enough to get completely past this. 

He was still mulling it over, when his elbow accidentally knocked against Jack’s open laptop and the screen came back to life.

“Oops,” Daniel muttered and pushed his chair back as he stood. He didn’t want to snoop, but he couldn’t avoid a glance at the text in the open document.

... _And so, I regretfully submit my resignation. And to be clear, the regret is not so much about the resigning part, but the fact that I was deluded enough to think I had possessed even one iota of the ability needed to fill your sizable and shiny shoes..._

_Daniel stared at the words for a moment before he gently closed the laptop to make sure there was no chance anyone else could get a glimpse of it._

  
  


**VII**

With a scowl Jack put the phone on the coffee table and leaned back on his couch. Oh, he’d missed spending quality time with his couch and the myriad episodes of The Simpsons he had recorded over the last couple of weeks. The simple things in life were the best after all. 

It was their free weekend; the first in, oh, ages... Outside the snow had melted and after a longish period of rain it was now mostly dry and sometimes sunny and the mud bath that had been Jack’s lawn was returning to Jack’s lawn once again. 

So, free weekend... a milestone. Two days of doing nothing but lying on the couch, watching The Simpsons, sipping coffee in the morning, beer in the evening, ordering pizza, lying on the couch... 

Could be bliss.

Only one Doctor Jackson wasn’t answering his phone. 

Where was he?

Jack had called the mountain, expecting him to be there. He still needed his gunshot wound tended to and had chosen to stay on base to get the dressings changed in the infirmary. Jack hadn’t pushed the issue yesterday, but now that he had slept on it, he was having second thoughts. 

There was no need to stay at the mountain. Jack was very capable of changing a wound dressing right here. And Jackson should spend his free weekend away from the SGC, preferably very close to Jack so that they could talk some things through and figure out where to go from here. 

But Jackson wasn’t answering his office phone and when Jack had called Walter earlier, he'd been informed that Doctor Jackson had left the mountain an hour ago, with Fraiser’s blessings, to go home. Then Walter had patched Jack through to Reynolds who had a couple of minor issues to discuss. Thankfully nothing that couldn’t be sorted out over the phone. Jack had learned his lesson then; never call the mountain on your downtime if you can avoid it. 

Jack had tried AWOL-Daniel’s house and mobile.

Answering machine and Mailbox.

He refused to be overly worried. Yet. 

Checking his watch, he wondered if Jackson had actually gone to bed and shut all his phones off. The little version had just crawled out of his an hour ago and it was close to noon. 

Jack had vowed to sleep in, too. To have hours and hours of undisturbed rest. But his inner clock and the dog had woken him at 07:00 sharp. Still, Jack felt more refreshed than he had in days. No one had shaken him awake or called him in the middle of the night because of another plant crisis, power failure, someone shooting up the gate room, tantrum throwing aliens and Russians or whining IOA people on the phone. And thankfully he hadn't bolted awake from nightmares about having to shoot Big Daniel and accidentally killing him either. Not that Jackson had been in any danger of being killed by that shot. If Jack knew one thing very well, it was how to wield a gun exactly the way he intended to. 

There was just something about having to shoot someone so close to you, in every sense of the word, that would rattle you if you chose to think about it more closely. So Jack chose not to. He’d had to do it before; zatted Carter twice, almost blown Daniel up on that Enkaran ship, had to leave him behind on Klorel's ship... it wasn't something he'd ever be able to shake easily. But he knew he'd do it again if he really had to. 

And here he had thought with being SGC bound for good now at least that kind of situation wasn't part of his job anymore. 

Crap, he hated his new job already and he hadn’t even had his first lockdown yet since he'd taken over from Hammond. 

Deciding not to dwell and returning his attention back to Homer and Bart, he took a sip of coffee and refused to allow himself to keep glancing at the phone. 

At least Gilmore was out of his hair. He had left yesterday, the day after the president’s visit, telling Jack he’d been sent on this temporary assignment by Hayes. Sort of a civilian audit he’d called it. Apparently the president had wanted to make sure Jack settled in before he’d come to shake hands and fully endorse Brigadier General O’Neill as the leader of the SGC. 

Gilmore had been a bit sheepish about it and probably a bit put out when Jack said he knew because Hammond had told him. Before Gilmore had left he’d said he thought Jack was doing an amazing job and that he had the highest respect...yadda.

Jack wished he could feel the same way. 

So far he felt more like someone who was swimming in a pool of sharks, trying not to drown. And the only reason he wasn’t drowning was his team carrying him. He was so far out of his comfort zone, it wasn’t even remotely funny anymore. 

Yet, he hadn’t sent his resignation in yet.

A knock at the door followed by a round of barking and a yell from Daniel that he was going to answer it pulled Jack from his musings. He didn’t bother to heave his butt off the couch, knowing it had to be Al. A moment later he heard the boys scampering off to Daniel’s room or wherever. 

With a sigh Jack decided he didn’t feel like trying to focus on The Simpsons after all. He felt restless. He considered doing some yard work, but couldn’t get himself to move away from the couch either. 

“Ja-ack! Do we have garden wire?!” Daniel hollered from somewhere.

“In the pantry,” Jack hollered back.

“What about bamboo sticks?” Daniel yelled.

“No! And stop yelling!” Jack yelled back. 

There was a stretch of silence and then Jack’s mobile phone hummed. 

“You’re kidding me, right?” he muttered as he picked it up and eyed the text message.

_do we have any of this?_

_-scotch tape_

_-2 sticks (doesn’t have to be bamboo) 3 ft_

_-cardboard paper 4 ft to 4 ft_

Shaking his head Jack hit reply and typed in;

_paper and tape, yes, sticks, no. What for?_

There was no reply when he’d sent it off. But a moment later Jack heard the kids venturing into the kitchen. Drawers and cupboards were opened and closed none too gently and muffled voices carried out to the living room.

Curiosity won over laziness so Jack finally left his couch and went into the kitchen to investigate. Daniel was in the pantry, rummaging through their stock of food and handy household stuff. Al was inspecting the flatware drawer.

Jack leaned against the door jamb. “What’cha looking for?” 

“Straws,” Al replied absently. 

“Straws? As in drinking straws?” 

“And string,” came Daniel’s voice from the pantry.

“Do you have kitchen string, General O’Neill?” Al closed the flatware drawer with a bang.

“I’m sure we do. And call me Jack, Al,” Jack said, knowing it was a lost cause. Al got a kick out of calling Jack by his rank and last name for some reason. 

Daniel emerged from the pantry with a roll of string and a box of straws. He put both things on the kitchen table. Jack noticed a stack of yellow, blue and red wrapping tissue paper sitting there.

He made a mental list of the items, watched as Daniel added the turkey lacing needle, a bottle of glue and scissors. There was something vaguely familiar about all this and it took him only a moment to pull out the right memory to go with straws, string, paper and glue.

“You’re going to build a kite?” Jack looked out the kitchen window where the wind played with the trees.

“It was Al’s idea,” Daniel clarified. “He brought the paper and we found a couple of websites with instructions.” After a moment of pause he added, “I’ve never built a kite before.” 

Ah. Maybe one of the things he’d had on his kid list. 

“You’ve never built a kite before?” Al asked dumbfounded. “I built my first kite in kindergarten!” 

“I... I never went to kindergarten,” Daniel said, blushing slightly.

“Ah, there's probably no kindergarten in Egypt,” Al concluded with a sage nod. 

“Um, not where I lived, I guess,” Daniel mumbled.

“Well, that’s okay. I haven’t built a pyramid kite before either,” Al said with a shrug.

Jack looked over their material. “You need help with that?”

“We wanted to print out the instructions, but if you know how to do it...?” Daniel’s smile turned a little lopsided. “But you wanted to just hang out on the couch and watch The Simpsons. It’s your first free weekend and...” He trailed off. 

“The Simpsons aren’t going anywhere.” Jack sat on the kitchen bench and the kids settled across the table on the two chairs. “How big do you want it to be?” 

Al and Daniel looked at each other, then back at Jack. “Think BIG,” Daniel decided. “It’s a pyramid. It has to be big. But it also has to fly.”

“We can either make a huge one or smaller ones for each of you,” Jack said.

The kids debated their options and decided on having one kite for each. 

“O-kay. We need four small pyramids for each kite then. Daniel, get us two chopsticks and a couple of twist ties, please.”

“Twist ties? What for?” Daniel asked, but was already back in the pantry and, after a moment of searching, returned with the required gadgets. 

“We only have one needle, but we need two more if we want to make this team work,” Jack said. “Twist one end of the ties into a small loop so you can tie the string to it.”

“Oh, that’s cool! And then we push it through the straw with the chopstick,” Al guessed.

“Yep. You got it.”

“MacGyverisms,” Daniel groaned. 

“Nope. My own first hand experience,” Jack said with a grin. Actually, Sara had come up with the twistie needle when they had built a kite with Charlie. To make sure he could work on all the pieces without poking himself with the turkey needle. 

Jack showed them how to build a triangle by dropping the needles with the attached string down through three straws, letting gravity do the work for them and helping with the chopstick if the needle got stuck. Once they had all three straws strung up they formed them into a triangle and tied both ends of string together, leaving as little slack as possible.

Next they threaded and tied two more straws together, using one of the first three straws as one side of their new triangle. Al had a bit of trouble when they tied one more straw between the outer corners of the two triangles as the back of their pyramid. 

“Don’t tie it so tightly or the straws bend,” Jack instructed. “Look... the pyramid shouldn’t bend but shouldn’t flop either.” 

“I can’t do it,” Al complained. “It’s bending _and_ flopping!”

“Try again,” Jack said. “No one’s rushing you.”

“Here, let me show you,” Daniel offered and the two boys started over again on Al’s out-of-shape pyramid. 

“Gummy bears anyone?” Jack got up to fetch a bag of gold bears which helped Al to get over his frustration long enough to build a new pyramid with Daniel’s help. 

When they had finished the first four pyramids they moved on to cutting and gluing the paper to two sides of their constructions, leaving one side of each pyramid open. Once they had all the pyramids arranged properly Daniel tied them together at the touching corners, tying double and triple knots to make sure they were going to hold. 

“Now you guys build another one,” Jack said when they had agreed it looked great and was ready to fly.

Daniel said. “We could drive out to Memorial Park. There’s a lot of space to let them fly.”

Jack raised his eyebrow. “You know someone who’s going to give you a ride?” 

“Oh, you want to come with us and you know you want to! You want your own kite, too!” Daniel smirked.

“Yes! Please! We could have a kite race!” Al joined in.

Jack couldn’t smother the grin at the kids’ enthusiasm. Throwing up his hands in mock-defeat he promised to take them to Memorial Park for an afternoon of kite racing as soon as the kites were ready. Zealously the boys started on their next kite while Jack put together his own. 

This was going to be a lot more fun than sitting around doing nothing but brooding. He’d take his phone so he could continue trying to call Jackson and convince him to come over tonight or tomorrow. They had to talk. No more beating around the bush. Life was too short to waste anymore time with hang ups. 

Daniel had the idea to write their names on the kites and took off to get permanent markers. When he returned with his Sharpies a moment later he came over to where Jack was sitting and nudged him. 

“Um, Jack?”

He looked up from his half finished pyramid. “Daniel?”

Daniel dropped the Sharpies on the table and leaned into Jack’s side, whispering, “BD’s car is in our driveway. He’s just sitting there and not getting out or anything.”

Jack gazed at the straw construction in his hands and then back at Daniel. “Can you finish this for me?” 

“Sure,” Daniel said. “Go, talk to him.”

Getting up from the kitchen table, Jack gave his kid’s hair a ruffle. “Thanks.” 

He slipped out the front door, glad the dog was probably snoozing in Daniel’s room and didn’t insist on greeting the visitor. Jack needed this moment alone with Jackson. Without any distraction. He crossed the distance to the orange jeep – a sight Jack still hadn’t gotten quite used to. It was too cold to ride in the open car yet, so the roof was closed, but the driver's side window was down.

Big Daniel was sitting there, his brown B-3 sheepskin leather flight jacket zipped up against the chilly March air. He cradled his left arm with his right hand and Jack winced inwardly. The guy shouldn’t probably have taken the sling off just yet. 

Jack leaned in through the open window, resting his forearms on the sill. “Hey.”

“Hey.” There was a touch of resignation as though he’d just made up his mind to drive away before Jack had shown up. 

“Come here often?”

Jackson snorted. “It’s a nice place.”

“Want me to buy you a drink?” 

“Are you coming on to me?”

“Yeah, sure. You’re going to like me. I’m a pretty nice guy.”

Jackson blinked, giving him an assessing look. “You’ve got a rep for being a smart ass and a bad boy. They say you can kill with a spoon and have hideous taste in TV Shows. They even say you like hockey.” 

“Oh, yeah?” Jack glowered. “Forget what they say. I’m a real keeper. Sensitive, well mannered. Little bit run down maybe; shot knees and all. But I still got all my teeth. And no fake hair. I got scars – you can count ‘em if you get off on that.”

There was a ‘you’re incorrigible’ smile. “A keeper you say? Maybe I’m not, though.” And the smile was gone. “Nothing has changed, Jack. I’m still...”

“And it still doesn’t matter.”

Jackson shook his head. “Maybe not now. But in a week, a month... a couple of months it will matter, whether you want it to or not. And it matters to ME. Because I want to do this right. All the way.” 

“Takes time,” Jack said. And a hell of a lot more than that. 

“I can’t get hard,” Jackson ground out ruthlessly. His eyes were blazing with barely suppressed anger. “I should at least manage an erection at all before I even think about having real sex again. I shouldn’t do this with you until I’m sure I can get past Ba’al.”

Jack's mind played through all the appropriate replies from ‘You’ll get past this, we’ll get past this’ to ‘I’m going to be here, waiting for you’ over ‘Doing it with your right hand isn't like doing it with me’. In the end he didn’t say any of it because he hated clichés. Jack loved this man. Had loved him for years and years. He could wax on about that, too. About how true love would survive a sexual dry spell caused by Goa’uld rape. How they were meant for each other and all that. 

He didn’t say any of that either. 

Because he was pretty sure he didn’t _have_ to say any of it. This wasn't a head thing. Not something you could will away by rationalizing it. It just was. Or wasn't, in Jackson's case. And it would heal on its own terms. Hopefully.

Finally Jack settled for, “Yet, you’re here. Does Fraiser know you’ve taken that sling off and are driving?”

“She released me,” was the stubborn reply.

“And probably told you to get someone to drive you home.”

“You healed me.”

“You still need that thing.” Jack pointed at the abandoned black Collarcare arm sling on the passenger seat.

“Fine. If patronizing me is all you can think of, I better get out of here and go home.” He reached for the ignition, but Jack was faster. His hand shot out and seized Jackson’s wrist.

“Don’t. I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to call you...” Jack trailed off and let go of him.

Jackson’s hand fell into his lap and he lowered his head. He sounded almost reluctant when he spoke. “I miss you.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

“Can’t sleep.”

“Sucks big time.”

Their eyes met again. “And I’m here to tell you not to resign.”

Jack winced. “How do you...”

“I’m guilty of reading your letter to Hammond. I didn’t mean to, but it was open on your laptop two days ago and I happened to...”

Jack waved it off. It didn’t matter. “I haven’t sent it. Yet.” 

“Well, don’t. You had a couple of crappy weeks, so what? You’ll get used to it.”

“Maybe I don’t want to get used to having crappy weeks. Maybe I'm done. I’m getting too old for this shit. And the kid needs me,” Jack bitched, all the irritation he felt over being 'the man' flaring up.

“The _kid_ is happy as a clam about spending more time at the mountain. He’s trying to get away with longer work hours, but in case you didn’t notice; we’re all keeping an eye on him...” 

“I found him asleep at his desk in his quarters in the middle of the night, three days ago,” Jack snapped. “And it's my responsibility to...”

“So he got away with it once in how many weeks? It's not going to kill him. Usually he's not giving anyone a hard time about keeping his schedule and taking his breaks. He was desperately trying to help finding a solution for the Amoran problem.”

“That's not...” 

“He’s fine, Jack. He’s coping better with this than you are.”

And that was probably the damn truth. Jack pulled back from the window. Straightening up and leaning his back against the jeep, he took a deep breath of the crisp air. “I’m crap at this,” he said. “I neither have the patience nor the will to deal with the brass in DC or the Russians. I’m not a diplomat.”

“You’re not required to be one. You have people doing the diplomacy thing for you.”

“Fine. I’m not a desk pilot.” 

“No, you’re not. But you’re a strategist. We’ll work on your temper, get you more organized with the paperwork and you’ll ace it.”

Jack snorted. “What? You buying into that crap about the SGC needing a,” Jack made air quotations, “’skilled leader who has been in the field and knows from first hand experience what’s out there’ Hayes was spouting over dinner?”

“Yes. Yes, I do. Now that Hammond is gone you are our best chance of not being shut down. You know we need the program to go on even though the Goa’uld are defeated. That we need to continue showing our presence out there and maintain the relationships with our allies.”

“Hammond hasn’t been off world more than a couple of times and _he_ knew how to run the SGC blindfolded and with his hands tied behind his back,” Jack griped. 

“And so will you. You just need time. Hammond had people to rely on just like you do. And he was already a major general when he took over from General West. Stop trying to compare yourself to him, Jack. You have to do things your way and you’ll get used to it,” came the heated reply from inside the jeep. 

Jack gritted his teeth. Then a thought started forming in his head and he turned back to the open window, resuming his earlier position. “How about a deal?”

He was met with a frown. “What?”

“I’m not going to resign. I’m going to give this whole desk-flying thing a fair chance. Now, _you,”_ Jack pointed at him, “are going to do what you really came here for. Tell me you’re going to try.”

Jackson closed his eyes briefly and nodded. “There's no need to blackmail me, Jack. I’m going to try. I came here to... tell you that, too. Despite everything, I’m... here. I just didn't know where to start.” 

Jack opened the door and took a step back. “By getting out of that car and coming into the house.”

“I’m not going to have meaning of life talks. I just want to spend time with you,” Jackson warned curtly as he started to move and then stood by the open door of his jeep. 

Jack breathed a sigh of relief as a bit of his tension eased away, allowing him to breathe more freely. They could talk later, he decided. As long as they were getting somewhere here. 

“Hey, you know me. I’m not a big fan of meaning of life talks. It’s overrated.”

Jackson snorted. “You know we have to talk about it, eventually. I just don’t want to do it now.”

“We’ll talk when you’re ready,” Jack said firmly. “The kids are building kites. They want to go to Memorial Park and I promised to drive them.” 

“And then?”

“I don’t know. I’ll wine and dine you, we watch a movie... whatever you want. It’s your call.”

He was trying to fight it, but Jack could see the smile tugging at Jackson’s lips and showing in his eyes. “I’d like that.”

“Which part?” Jack asked, just to be on the safe side.

“All of it.” Big Daniel gestured at the backseat, suddenly a lot more confident. “I brought an overnight bag. I need your help with the wound dressing tonight. Janet says the sling can come off on Monday, though.”

Jack snorted. “Does that mean you're going to put it back on now?”

Jackson glowered at him. “I only took it off for the driving.” He leaned into the jeep and snatched the Collarcare from the passenger seat. 

Jack grabbed the bag and slammed the door shut. “I need to work on that healing thingamajig.”

“You spared me a whole additional week of having to wear this thing. The wound is closing nicely from inside out and there's no infection.”

“I did a much better job when you had that nasty, fuzzy crap growing out of your shoulder on Christmas.” Jack had never experienced the healing power that strongly again. Maybe he’d been desperate enough to open up completely that day. Like he had only allowed himself to open up to the Atlantis connection after his wacky melt down. 

None of that mattered right now as they walked back to the house together. 

A totally unnoticed and insignificant step for mankind, but a big step for the odd couple. The first of many. 

Jack was confident. 

**VIII**

Big Daniel had never built a kite. He had seen them fly, of course, in the fall in Central Park when he had lived in New York. He had never paid much attention to the colorful dots in the usually gray autumn sky, but had registered them nevertheless. Kids and teens with their kites of all shapes and colors. 

But he had never done it himself.

This wasn’t Central Park and it was spring, not fall. There weren’t many people here because of the wind and the looming dark clouds chasing each other on the horizon. So far it wasn't raining and the sun kept peeking at them through holes in the clouds. Since the wide open areas of the park were almost deserted they let the dog run free even though it wasn’t strictly legal. 

He couldn’t take part in the kite races Jack and the kids were getting into. His arm, now back in its sling, was still throbbing and wouldn't like all the running around, yet. But he was content to just follow them at a more leisurely pace and watch as they dragged their red, blue and yellow pyramids with them until they were high in the sky, riding with the wind. 

There was a lot of laughter and yelling as they were cheering their kites on. Al’s and LD’s got into each other’s way twice and they had to get them down to carefully untangle the strings. Daniel was holding the camera with one hand, snapping pictures for Jack’s scrapbook. 

Flyboy kept dashing back and forth between Daniel and the others. He slipped the camera into his jacket and picked up a large stick probably left here by another dog owner. Daniel threw it for the dog who stormed off to fetch and return it. They repeated the game several times until Flyboy grew tired of it and went to chase after LD again. 

“The dog is the biggest kid of all.” Jack had left the boys to start their new race without him. His kite was tugging at its string, held up there by the gusts of wind as they walked on. 

“I know someone who can easily top that,” Daniel said with a grin.

Jack waggled his eyebrows at him. “I have no idea what’cha talking about.”

“Of course you don't.”

LD and Al were trying to outrun each other, their kites dancing wildly.

“This is what I want for him,” Jack said after a moment, his gaze following the boys. “I know I can’t keep him from trying to help if the Ancients or anyone else come knocking at our door again. But until that happens I want him to have fun. I want to hear him laugh like this. A lot.”

“It’s what you’re giving him. A childhood without rejecting what he really is.” Daniel couldn’t remember if he had ever been this carefree after the death of his parents. If he’d ever been this relaxed when he’d been LD’s current age. 

“Nah, I just have his six. He’s done the hard work of getting there.” 

Daniel knew that wasn’t entirely true. He had sensed the scars of the last two years on Jack’s soul. Had seen them in his eyes. But he couldn’t argue the point that LD had taken a major leap from being a confused and depressed adult in a downsized body to finding himself again in this new reincarnation. The same and yet, different. Different, and yet the same. 

_And if he hadn’t chosen to stay little..._

A shudder ran down Daniel’s spine as he realized how lucky they were. LD had chosen this. Not by circumstances, but by free will. Not to sacrifice himself for Jack and Daniel, but because he had wanted this. Just like Daniel had predicted.

“You getting cold?” Jack asked. “We can call it a day and go home.”

“No. Let’s give them some more time to play. I’m fine.” 

They moved close together, their hands finding and clasping for a brief intimate moment, before they let go again. 

They didn’t talk much as they walked along the lake. Jack cautioned the kids not to let their kites get too close to the trees. Daniel thought that Colorado Spring was slowly waking up from winter hiatus. They spotted young leaves on the oaks and the bushes were budding _._

For a second he wondered if Earth plants had a similar connection with one another as Audrey II's sisters had. Then he recalled what Sam had said about his connection to Jack. About his and LD's connection to Jack and to each other. 

He recalled the days they had spent at the cabin last spring. It had been the first inkling for Daniel of what they could have been in another time line. The first taste of something he hadn’t expected. That it wasn’t just about his feelings for Jack, but something more. Something bigger. That the three of them could have been a family. 

His thoughts moved on to their two weeks in Atlantis and how surreal it had felt sometimes. And how he had wished they could stay together like that. Because by then they _had_ become family to some extent. He had hated himself for that secret yearning, had felt egoistical and guilty. Even knowing Jack wanted the same thing. 

And here they were, exactly the way they wanted to be. 

The three of them.

What a nice thought. Even without his working sexuality it felt very... real.

They called the boys and the dog and turned around. The wind had freshened up and they landed the kites to carry them back to the parking lot. Al and LD walked ahead, discussing whether or not it was possible to build a kite twice as big as the ones they had now and LD said he was going to ask Sam.

“You can tie as many pyramids together as you like,” Jack said. “You might want to google Alexander Graham Bell.” 

“Isn’t that the guy who invented phones?” Al asked, curious.

“Well, he didn’t invent it,” Big Daniel said, “but he was the first one who made it work. A lot of other people had tried their hands at the phone before him. They all failed. However, Bell also built kites.” 

LD climbed into the truck after Flyboy and fastened him into his harness. “He made man-carrying-kites. Hey, we should really google that and see if we can build one of those.”

Al squeezed in next to his friend, keeping a wary eye on the dog. He seemed to have gotten over his fear of Flyboy, but Daniel noticed he was still a bit apprehensive of being so close to him in an enclosed space. 

“Do you want to ride in the front seat, Al? I can go in the back with LD and the dog,” he offered.

Al shook his head. “Murray says one has to face his fears. And Flyboy is a good dog.”

Biting back a grin, Daniel nodded. “Murray is a wise man.” 

“Indeed,” Al said, making them all laugh.

When they had dropped Al off at home, they decided to stop at Marios’ Best Take Out for pasta and pizza. While Jack went in to order and wait for the food, LD leaned forward, hugging the headrest of the driver’s seat with one arm. “Are you going to stay?” 

Suddenly the doubt was back. It settled like a heavy weight in his guts. Daniel turned his head to give him a sideways look. “Do you want me to?” 

If there was a shred of uncertainty in the boy...

“It’s about time,” LD said with feeling. “I know you have to keep the house and stay there from time to time, but...”

“Whoa, Daniel... we’re not talking new living arrangements here. Don’t you think we should take it slow?”

“You can’t take it any slower than you already are,” LD interrupted. “And if you want to get over this whole Ba’al thing you have to stop holing yourself up at your place or the mountain. You have to be with us.” 

“How can you be so sure?” What if they totally screwed this up? What if it didn’t work out? The kid was happy for them now, but he might have second thoughts once living together, even if it was just part time, became a reality. Aside from his little performance problem this was Daniel's biggest concern. 

“How can’t you be?” came the immediate reply. 

“What?”

“Don’t you realize how happy we were in Atlantis?” LD asked softly. “Don’t you miss it? Jack does. And so do I.”

And wasn’t that exactly why he had pushed aside all his qualms and fears and come to Jack’s place today? Because he'd missed it. Missed them. Coming home to the empty house at nights had felt like entering a big black hole. It hadn’t felt this jarring since the first weeks after Jack’s death on Abydos before Daniel had gone back in time. Seeing them at the mountain hadn’t been enough anymore. Not after Atlantis.

The chill of the evening air, as Jack opened the passenger door and placed boxes of food in Daniel’s lap, interrupted his train of thoughts. “Pizza Vita Dolce with bacon, pineapples and extra cheese, señor. Pesto pizza with extra mozzarella and sliced tomatoes for the bambino,” Jack announced in his worst Italian accent. “And pizza BBQ for me with extra hot sauce.”

“Did you bring dessert?” LD asked as he fastened his seat belt again.

“Yep.”

“Chocolate Cannoli?”

“Yep.”

Dusk came quickly and as they reached the house Daniel realized how hungry he was and how comfortably tired. 

While he and LD took care of the food and got drinks from the kitchen, Jack lit a fire. They fed and watered the dog and settled down to eat their pizza in the dining room. LD elaborated on his ideas about building a man-carrying kite and Daniel laughed at Jack’s muttered realization that mentioning Alexander Graham Bell might not have been the wisest idea. 

The pizza was gone in no time and LD started negotiating for coffee to go with the cannolis.

“It has to go with coffee.”

“It’s late.”

“Not too late.”

“It’s after dinner. And you already had your coffee fix-es today.”

“But we have cannoli. There has to be coffee with them.”

“Maybe you should have them for breakfast then?”

“Ja-ack.”

“Or maybe we should eat yours, too, to help you with your dilemma?” Jack mused, fingers edging towards LD’s dessert.

“Don’t you dare!” 

Daniel snorted, then said, “How about a Latte kinda compromise? Or like the European version of the Cafe au lait. Hot milk with a small shot of espresso.” 

“I’ll get the coffee,” LD offered readily and scurried out. 

“Just remember the emphasis is on _small_ shot of espresso,” Jack called after him, then eyeballed Daniel.

“You were going to say yes anyway,” Daniel said with a shrug.

“I wasn’t.”

“Yes, you were.”

“Was not.”

“Special occasion and cannoli.”

“Yeah, well... maybe.” Jack grinned.

Once LD was back, carefully carrying a small tray with two mugs of coffee and a Latte for himself, they moved their dessert to the living room and settled on the couch. The small pastry rolls filled with a cream of mascarpone and chocolate chips, covered with chocolate sauce, were delicious and they each had two while they sipped their coffee and watched the crackling fire.

 _This is what it could be like every day_ , Daniel thought, a little surprised at his own amazement. _This could become normal. Not just occasionally, or on borrowed time, but permanent_. 

Patting his full belly, LD sighed. “This totally beats commissary food. Can only be topped by homemade cooking.” He perked up. “Can we cook together tomorrow, Daniel?”

“Why not. Let’s see what you’ve got in your pantry. Now that we can make edible food from dried meat, coconuts and banana mush I’m sure we’ll find something here to turn into a decent meal.” 

“We haven’t eaten much here lately. No real cooked meals anyway,” Jack said. “We’re pretty much out of eggs, fresh veggies or meat, but fully stocked on mostly everything else. And then there’s the freezer. Knock yerselves’ out.” 

“I’ll go and let the dog out, then I’ll write a grocery list,” LD offered and slipped out from where he’d been wedged between Jack and Daniel. “And then I’m sure I can find lots of interesting websites about Alexander Graham Bell.” 

“Oh, you don’t have to go...” Daniel hurried to say, that flutter of unease back from out of nowhere. 

Jack, however, didn’t have any such qualms. “Have fun. Just don’t stay up all night reading.”

“As if you won’t make sure of that,” LD said, rolling his eyes. 

And with a grin and a wave he was gone, followed by Flyboy. 

“You okay?” Jack looked at him, chocolate brown eyes warm and questioning.

Daniel licked his lips.”Yeah. It’s... I don’t know.”

“You _could_ sleep on the couch. You could even go home if you’d rather try this another time. It’s up to you. I had fun today. We could leave it at that, meet for breakfast...” Jack trailed off, gaze still fixed on Daniel. 

“No.” He hadn’t come here to leave again.

He had come to stay.

_***_

Jack was in his bathroom, mesmerized by a simple thing like a third toothbrush and Jackson’s aftershave added to the jumbled mix of items on the board above the sink. 

_This is real now._

He couldn’t quite believe it yet. But there was a new peace. Something telling him it had become real the moment Jackson had left his jeep this afternoon. He was still trying to resist the urge to pinch himself to make sure it wasn’t some weird dream, but all the anxiety of the last weeks seemed to have vamoosed into thin air. 

Could it be that easy? All the issues and annoying lack of confidence… had he channeled all his real angst into the frustration over his new job? 

He gave the new toothbrush a little twirl with the tip of his forefinger and smiled.

He switched off the light and tapped barefoot across the hall to peek in on LD who was fast asleep, his legs tangled with Flyboy’s. 

The master bedroom was dark when Jack entered and closed the door. For a very short frightening moment he was sure Jackson had left. Had decided he couldn’t stay after all. Not yet. It’d be okay. Disappointing but bearable. 

Then the moment passed and Jack could see him lying on the right side of the bed. Where he used to sleep in that other life they once had had together. 

“It’s a lot more comfortable than your couch. Or the bed in Atlantis,” Jackson said when Jack slipped under the covers beside him.

“Like you remember it?”

“Yesssss, pretty much the same.” 

They looked at each other in the darkness and Jack wished he could see him better. He fumbled with one hand and found the switch of his bedside lamp. It had one of those energy saving bulbs so instead of illuminating the room with brightness it emitted a warm dimmed yellow light. 

Jackson greeted Jack with a lopsided smile, showing his dimples. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Jack whispered.

“You come here often?”

“It’s a nice place.” Jack closed his eyes and melted into the touch of warm fingertips tracing his scarred left eyebrow and trailing down his cheekbone. Then they were gone and Jack felt a pang of loss. 

“Yeah. It is. A very nice place.” And then, out of the blue. “He kissed me.”

Jack’s eyes jerked open, but he managed not to pull back or snap. 

Jackson bit his lower lip and his eyes seemed to darken. “Forced his tongue down my throat.”

 _Bastard_ , Jack thought as a hot dark wave of rage threatened to swallow him. 

“I’m just telling you because... I want to try kissing you. Real kisses. I'm not _afraid_ of kissing or touching. But him kissing me was...”

'”Invading,” Jack said. 

“So it might trigger... something. I don’t know what’ll happen and, uh, if you end up with my fist smashing your nose, I want to apologize in advance.” Jackson’s voice was calm, secure. Just stating a fact, giving a head’s up. Not the scary detached robot voice Jack remembered from when they had first talked about what happened on Ba’al’s ship. 

“We don’t have to,” Jack said quietly, willing the green-eyed monster to back off. Ba’al was dead. Daniel was here. “We could just go to sleep. It’s okay.” 

“Let me.”

“Okay.” They met half way. It started out with nothing more than what Jack had done in the infirmary; only this time Jackson was kissing him, was taking lead. After a moment of just feeling the contact and gently rubbing lips against lips, Jack opened his mouth a little to give Daniel access if he wanted to. There was a tip of tongue against his, a delicious pressure, and then the kiss deepened and Jackson’s hand was back on Jack’s face, stroking his cheek, brushing over the side of his head, fingers carding through his hair. 

It cost Jack a lot of willpower not to grab him and make this kiss the first of many long, steaming hot ones. He wanted to make up for all the time they’d had to keep their hands off each other. But when Daniel gently pulled back, Jack took a deep breath and licked his lips. 

Oh, god. Like he’d wandered a desert and found a cup of water – only to have it removed after the first sip. 

But it didn’t matter. Because Daniel was here and it was real. And they’d continue down this yellow brick road until they reach Emerald City. Together. 

“Thank you,” Daniel said, a little breathless _ly_. “That was... not bad for a start, was it?” 

“Well, you didn’t break my nose. I’d say that’s a good sign,” Jack quipped. They laid down, facing each other. “You want to keep the light on?”

“No. We didn’t keep the light on in Atlantis.”

Jack switched off the lamp and turned back towards Daniel, putting a tentative hand on his hip. They were both wearing t-shirts and boxers like they had in Atlantis. It should be okay because it had been okay then. But you never knew... 

Jack edged closer to Daniel, hand still resting on the curve of his hip. There was no tension, no pulling back. That was good. “Do you want to...?”

“Yeah.”

Daniel rolled on his uninjured side, his back to Jack. 

Trusting.

Spooning up behind him, Jack nuzzled his neck. Just like they had done on Atlantis. This was it. This was how it was meant to be. Finally. He wound his arm around Daniel's body, hand resting on the solar plexus, fingers brushing over the soft worn fabric of his t-shirt. 

Daniel let out a short deep humming sound of appreciation and relaxed into the embrace. “’s nice,” he murmured. “Missed this.”

Jack listened in wonder – just like he had when they'd done this in Pegasus - remembering this sound from before. For a time he hadn’t thought he’d ever hear Daniel make those little noises again. He lay very still, listening to Daniel’s breaths, feeling the weight of Daniel’s body against his. Even when adult Daniel had shown up in Egypt like a Fata Morgana... Jack had refused himself the hope of getting this back; had wanted and craved it – and yet never thought it was going to happen. 

Not until last Christmas. And even then the prospect of it had been sketchy and full of issues.

“What?” Daniel’s amused voice in the darkness.

“What?”

“I can hear you thinking.”

“Not thinking,” Jack said, his heartbeat speeding up just a little. “Just... You’re still going to be here in the morning, right?”

“That was the plan, wasn’t it?” 

“If you... ever need space or something... that’s okay. I know what it was like sometimes after Iraq. But...” Jack hated to sound and feel like the biggest sap on the planet. But here it was. “I love you.” He kissed the nape of Daniel's neck. “In every incarnation. Big. Little. Big again. Different ways. But it always comes down to that.” 

“I know. If there’s one true thing in this universe, that’s it,” Daniel whispered into the darkness. 

There was a very long silence after that and Jack’s hand kept caressing Daniel’s chest and smoothing the t-shirt over his abs until Daniel covered Jack’s restless hand with his own and placed it over his heart. A beautifully strong beating heart. 

“I kept telling myself I’d get over you if I tried hard enough. But it never really happened.” After another pause he added thoughtfully, “Sam thinks we’re like those Mayan plants.” 

“Carter thinks – what?” 

“That we’re connected on some higher level.” 

“At least we don’t sprout aerial roots to make babies,” Jack growled. “The offspring doesn’t have leaves growing outta his head either. Though he has your plant boy genes.” 

Daniel snorted and yawned. “Go to sleep, Jack. Your offspring wants to build man-carrying kites tomorrow.”

“ _Our_ offspring. And there’ll be man-carrying kites over my dead body,” Jack muttered. He pulled the comforter more tightly over both of them and after a while felt himself drifting off to sleep.

With Daniel in his arms. 

Where he belonged.   


Fin  


**Author's Note:**

> There's one more final story in this series 'Relight the Fire' - however, if you prefer more non-graphic slash and less kink/pormy bits, this story might be the perfect ending for you. If you want to see Jack and BD fight Ba'al's shadow - getting steamy and sweaty and rough in the process - have fun with the next one :)


End file.
